


Further Along the Way

by fiona_cat2004



Series: Finding His Way [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Adjusting to Married Life, Angst, Babies, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Military School, Not Canon Compliant, finding a job
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:07:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 41,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23317354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiona_cat2004/pseuds/fiona_cat2004
Summary: Now that he has abandoned the Way and is no longer a bounty hunter, Din Djarin and his family deal with an entirely new way of life.Sequel to my story “Finding His Way”. My beta reader asked for more about Din and Mariana, so here it is. This takes place between chapters 11 and 12 of “Finding His Way”.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Original Character(s), Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda, Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Finding His Way [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676830
Comments: 12
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hadn’t planned on writing a sequel, but with time on my hands due to the governor’s Stay at Home order, I need something to distract myself. Hope you enjoy!

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Din told Mariana. “We don’t really need a ship anymore, especially a gun ship. Besides, we need the money.”

It was true. Not only was Din no longer a Mandalorian, he was no longer a bounty hunter and they hadn’t had any income for several months. Still, the thought of him selling the _Razor Crest_ made her heart sink. It had been their home for nearly a year now, and the first real home she’d had in over a decade. She knew it was only practical to sell the ship, but it felt like an irrevocable step.

“I can get enough from the sale of the Crest to keep us afloat for awhile,” Din went on. “Definitely long enough for us to find a place to live and for me to find a job. We need to get settled, _cyar’ika_.” He came up behind her, slipping his arms around her, one hand gently rubbing the small swell of her belly where the baby was growing.

“I know,” she said, leaning back against him. “It’s just … I feel bad that you’re making all the sacrifices in this relationship.”

“I’m not sacrificing anything, Mar’ika,” he insisted. 

She turned to face him. “You’ve given up your livelihood, your armor, your religion … I haven’t given up a thing.” She traced the curve of his cheek with her fingertips, lingering when she reached his lips. 

He kissed her hand and held her closer. “I never asked you to give up anything,” he said softly. “I never will. I want you to have everything, after the Empire took so much from you.”

She sighed and pressed her forehead against his. “I want you to have everything, too. But you keep giving things up.”

He shook his head. “I have everything I need, right here. You. Ad’ika. Our unborn child. My _family_. Nothing else matters.”

He stepped back. “I … I was thinking of selling part of the arsenal, as well,” he said.

“No!” She cried.

He shook his head again. “I don’t need that many weapons. I’m done fighting.” He held up a hand to forestall her response. “I’ll keep enough to protect us if need be, but some of those pieces will fetch a good price.”

“ _Cyar’ika_ ,” she said, sadly. “You don’t have to do this. We’ll get by. I can get a job …”

“No,” he said firmly. They’d had this argument before. Din was adamant that she was not going to look for a job until after the baby was born. It was touching that he was so concerned about her, but frustrating that he seemed to think that she was so fragile. “I’ll sell the ship, and some of the weapons, and that will keep us going. I’ll find work soon enough, and once the baby comes, you’re going back to school.”

She sighed again. “I know you want me to finish my education, and I will, eventually. But first, we need to get financially stable. Kids aren’t cheap, Din.”

“I know that. But you deserve to follow your dreams. And once you do finish a degree, you’ll probably be able to get a much better paying job than I can.” He winked at her and she relented. He was right, of course, but she still felt like she was taking advantage of his devotion.

“Okay, we’ll do this your way,” she said. “But please, my love, don’t give up everything. Keep something for yourself.”

His only answer was to wrap her in a fierce hug and start nibbling on her ear. At that point, she knew she might as well give up. There wasn’t going to be much talking for a while.

*******************************

Din crossed the spaceport, heading for the director’s office. It still felt odd to him to be walking around in public without any armor, and especially without a helmet. He felt naked, even though he was fully clothed. This planet was on the warm side, but he still wore a long sleeved shirt with a high collar. He caught himself fiddling with his wedding ring again and made himself stop. It was the only piece of beskar he still wore, and the smooth surface of the metal was so tempting. _This is the past_ , he told himself firmly. _Let it go_.

He reached the office and checked in with the receptionist, a Togrutan who handed him a numbered chip and told him in a bored voice to wait until it was his turn. So very different from the days when Din walked into a room and all eyes turned fearfully toward him. Now he was just another guy. Fortunately, there were only a few others waiting to see the director and there were plenty of empty chairs. He settled into one and scanned the room out of habit. He didn’t wear armor anymore, but he still had a small blaster tucked into one boot and a knife in the other. He felt confident that he could handle everyone in the room, even if they all came at him at once, and he allowed himself to relax.

A scruffy looking man was called into the director’s office, and the pert blonde woman who had been chatting with him moved to sit next to Din. She smiled and gave him an appraising look. This was another thing he’d had to get used to. If you showed your face, people actually looked at it, and some of them appreciated the way it looked.

Before she had a chance to open her mouth, he held up his left hand. “Married,” he said. 

“Too bad,” she said with a shrug before moving on to sit next to one of the other men in the room. Din supposed he should feel flattered she’d chosen him first, but it still made him feel awkward. 

Eventually, his number was called and he went into the director’s office. She was a no-nonsense woman with steel grey hair and a clipped accent. “What can I do for you, Mr….”

“Djarin.” She gave him a curt nod. “I have a ship I’d like to sell. I wanted to make sure I follow the proper procedures.”

“What docking bay is this ship in?”

“6R-32.”

She tapped her datapad and raised an eyebrow. “Very impressive. I wouldn’t have taken you for the gun ship type, Mr. Djarin. This should fetch a nice price, provided there aren’t too many repairs needed. Are you looking to sell it on the legit market, or are you open to more questionable buyers?” She sat back and looked him straight in the eye. Definitely the no-nonsense type.

“I need the money,” he said. “I’m open to any good offer.”

“Good,” the director nodded. “I’ll put out some feelers, post the specs on the spaceport bulletin board, and we’ll see what we can do for you. Of course, I expect a commission if I broker a deal.”

“Of course,” Din replied. He knew how to play this game. “Ten percent?”

“Thirty.”

“Twenty.”

“Twenty-five.”

“Done.” He shook her hand. Even with a twenty-five percent commission, her contacts would bring him a higher price than he could have gotten by approaching potential buyers on his own. 

He stood to leave, but turned back. “I do have a few other items that might be of interest to the type of buyer you’re talking about,” he said. 

The director leaned back in her chair, steepling her hands. “Do tell,”

He gave her a brief rundown of the weapons he was willing to part with. “My, my, you are full of surprises,” she said with a smile. “Bounty hunter?” He simply nodded. “May I ask why you’re giving up the trade?”

He fingered his ring again. “It’s not the best job for a man with a family,” he said quietly.

The director stood up and held out her hand. “Twenty percent,” she said. When he gave her a questioning look, she shrugged. “I have a soft spot for men who don’t walk out on their responsibilities. Long story.”

“Twenty percent,” Din agreed, shaking her hand again. “And your pick of the weapons.”

She smiled broadly. “I like your style, Mr. Djarin.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are not going well in the Djarin household until Din gets a lead on a job.

It had been a month since they’d sold the _Razor Crest_. They had enough credits to cover rent and food for a good eight or nine months, but Din would still feel better if he could just find a steady job. Most of the leads he’d had were for short term jobs, and many were just too dangerous to take Mariana and Ad’ika on, and the rest barely paid enough to cover the cost of transport to the planet they were on. It was frustrating. And it didn’t help that Mariana was getting a bit cranky as her pregnancy progressed. 

“I don’t know why I shouldn’t take the job,” she said one evening. “It’s temporary, and you’re not working, so you can watch Ad’ika.” 

Din took a deep breath and counted to ten. Mariana had been offered a position filling in for a teacher at the local grammar school who was taking a two month sabbatical. It was with very small children, really glorified babysitting with very little actual teaching, but it would bring in a decent amount of credits. Still, Din was not thrilled with the idea.

“I’d rather you didn’t make a commitment like that right now,” he said carefully. “Two months is a long time.”

Mariana humphed. “Two months is nothing. It’s not like you’ve got anything lined up, anyway.”

“Mar’ika, I’m trying,” he said, rubbing his hand over his face. He was trying very hard not to snap at her but his patience was wearing thin. 

“I know you are,” she said, squeezing his shoulder. “But who knows how long it will take to find the right offer? Why not take advantage of this opportunity while we have it?”

He reached up and placed his hand over hers. “I just don’t want you to take any risks, _cyar’ika_.”

She pulled her hand away. “I don’t think a school is such a dangerous place. I’d be working with little kids, Din, not a bunch of criminals.” She paced the small, one room apartment they’d been renting like a caged wild loth-cat. “I know you want to protect me, but I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I did it for years before you came along.”

“You’d still be a slave if I hadn’t rescued you,” he snapped back. 

She glared at him. He didn’t make her angry often, but he’d learned that it was not a smart thing to do. “Oh, forgive me, great savior. I forgot I’m supposed to thank you profusely every day of my life.” 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said, but she was already storming away and into the ‘fresher, the only place to be alone in the tiny apartment. “ _Cyar’ika_ ,” he called. “Don’t be like this.” _How am I going to get through five more months of this?_

Ad’ika was wisely playing by himself in the corner. The kid had quickly learned that when Mommy was in a bad mood, it was best to steer clear of her. He cocked his head and gave Din a sad look, shaking his little head. _Smart kiddo_.

Din sat quietly, waiting for Mariana to come out of the ‘fresher. When she did reappear, she didn’t look much calmer. “I’m going out for a walk,” she said. “I need to get out of here.”

“Mar’ika …” he began but she cut him off.

“Don’t Mar’ika me,” she snapped. “I might be your wife, but I don’t belong to you. So stop acting like I’m a helpless idiot who needs to be protected at all times. I may have been a slave but at least made it through reasonably well-adjusted.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He knew he shouldn’t engage her when she was like this, but he couldn’t help it.

“I’m not the one who hid behind a helmet for twenty-odd years,” she shot back.

Din had no response. He stood, scooped up Ad’ika and walked out the door. 

****************  
Mariana collapsed on the couch. _Shit, shit, shit_ , she thought. She’d gone too far this time. She knew she’d been being a bitch lately, but she couldn’t help it. The apartment was so small, and her hormones were all over the place. One second she felt like crying because she saw a baby bird out the window; the next she wanted to stab someone because her bootlace had come untied. She was gaining weight and felt dumpy and unattractive, which was ridiculous, because Din was just as amorous as ever, although with Ad’ika sleeping in the same room, they didn’t often get the chance to do more than kiss and cuddle.

She just wished he’d find a job so they could settle down properly. This apartment was cheap and convenient, but not really big enough for the three of them, and it definitely wouldn’t be big enough for four. And now she’d snapped at him and driven him away. Din was quite patient with her most of the time, but she knew she’d really hurt him if he’d taken Ad’ika with him.

It was well over an hour before she heard the door open and Din and Ad’ika stepped into the room. “I brought food,” he said evenly, setting a paper bag down on the table. There were several inexpensive food vendors in their neighborhood and it was often just as cheap to buy meals from them as it was to cook, especially since the kitchen in the apartment wasn’t much bigger than the one in the _Razor Crest_.

He placed Ad’ika on his high chair and took some plates out of the cupboard. He divvied up the food and set the plates around the table. Mariana took her seat and pulled her plate closer. It was her favorite: grilled vegetables and meat from the stand on the corner next to the park. 

Ad’ika and Din began eating silently, but she had no appetite right now. She reached out and placed her hand on Din’s. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I don’t know why I said that. I don’t know why I do half the things I’ve been doing lately.”

Din stopped eating and twined his fingers through hers. “I know,” he said. “And I’m sorry, too. I pushed you too far.”

“No, no, you didn’t,” she insisted. “I overreacted. Again.” She sighed and lifted his hand to her lips. “I’ll try to do better.”

“It’s not your fault, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said. “We’re all still adjusting to everything. I’m adjusting to being _dar’manda_ ; you’re adjusting to being pregnant; all three of us are adjusting to living in this tiny apartment … to be honest, Ad’ika is handling things the best. You and I … we’re just muddling through.”

Ad’ika nodded solemnly, although the effect was spoiled by the food that was sticking out of his mouth. Little man really needed to work on taking small bites instead of swallowing things whole. 

“Eat,” Din said. “Before Ad’ika steals your dinner.” He made a face at the child, who giggled and grabbed the last bite of food off his own plate.

Mariana picked up her fork and began to eat. She was afraid to ask exactly what kind of meat the cook used, but it was delicious, as always. Din took another bite, then leaned back in his chair.

“Ad’ika and I had a little talk while we were out,” he said. “Remember the time you told me I was broken?”

Mariana put down her fork. “Yes. But I admitted I was broken, too, if you recall.”

Din nodded. “I know. Eat.” He waited until she’d picked her fork back up and taken another bite. “Anyway, I was thinking about being broken and I realized that yes, I’m still broken, and probably always will be, but I'm a lot less broken than I used to be, and it’s all because of the two of you. All three of us are orphans, cast aside, battered by the winds of fate … whatever you want to call it, we’re messed up. But we found each other and together we’ll get through anything the galaxy can throw at us. Even unemployment and a crappy apartment —“

“Crazy hormonal mood swings,” she interrupted with a self-deprecating laugh. 

“Especially those,” Din went on, smiling. “Hell, I’d rather face a squad of Deathtroopers than you sometimes.” He winked and she made a face. 

“It’s all your fault,” she said. “I didn’t make this baby by myself.”

Din’s face turned serious. “That’s another thing,” he said. “You keep talking about how I’m the only one making any sacrifices, but I just got to do the fun part in this case. You’re the one who has to go through all the shitty parts of pregnancy. I’ve been reading the same stuff you have, and believe me, _cyar’ika_ , if I could do any of it for you, I would. But biology is biology and … I just want to make things easier for you.”

Ad’ika nodded sagely again, and once again the effect was spoiled when he burped loudly. Mariana was grateful, though, because it made her laugh instead of succumb to the tears she’d felt rising during Din’s little speech. _Stars, I love these boys_ , she thought. 

“Excuse you,” she said to Ad’ika, tweaking his nose. He laughed and climbed up on the table to approach her. 

“Ma,” he said, holding out his arms for a hug. She snuggled him to her chest. As she sometimes did when holding him, she felt … _something_ tickling at the back of her mind. She knew he’d communicated mentally with Luke Skywalker back on Florian, and she thought he was trying to do the same with her. She wasn’t Force-sensitive, though, and never quite made the connection. Still, she felt calmer and braver … and hungrier. Cradling her son in one arm, she attacked her dinner with the other.

Din cleared the table as soon as she was done, and she took Ad’ika over to the couch. Din joined them and they snuggled together. 

“ _Buir_ ,” Ad’ika said, patting Din on the chest. 

“Yes, _ad_?” Din replied lazily. If Ad’ika was just talking to them, he used their names (or his best approximation of them), but if he wanted something, he called them parent in Mando’a.

“ _Briikase_?”

_Happy_.

“Yes,” Mariana answered. “Yes, _ad_ , we are.”

*********************************

She slept late the next morning and was startled awake by something crashing to the floor.

“Sorry, sorry,” Din said hurriedly. She sat up to see him packing a duffel bag.

“What’s going on?” She asked, still a bit sleep-muddled.

“I’m leaving,” he said, and instantly she was fully awake.

“What? No! I thought … I thought everything was good between us.” She nearly fell out of bed, her feet tangled in the blankets in her haste to get to him. Her heart was pounding out of her chest.

“It is, it is,” he said, taking her in his arms and kissing her gently. “Sorry, I should have explained.” He was clearly excited about something; she could see a sparkle in his eyes that quite frankly she’d missed lately. “I have an interview for a job on Thantos Prime. The comm came through early this morning, and if I catch the next transport to Davos — which leaves about an hour — I can make the connection in time for the interview.”

“A job? What is it?”

“Combat instructor at a military academy,” he said, releasing her and going back to throwing things into his bag. “Karga put in a word for me with an old friend in case anything ever came up, and the instructor at this academy just quit to go home and fight in some civil war on his home planet. They need a replacement, and Karga’s friend contacted me.”

“It sounds perfect for you,” she said. “You’ve certainly got the skills for it. And bajur is one of the pillars of the Mandalorian creed, right?”

He smiled at her. “Your Mando’a is getting better. And yes, teaching children is very important to the Mando’ade. Even former ones like me.” He zipped up the duffel. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, _cyar’ika_.”

“Good luck,” she said. “I have a good feeling about this.”

“So do I,” he admitted. Then he kissed her, swung the duffel over his shoulder and walked out the door.

Mariana crawled back into bed. Ad’ika was still sound asleep and she didn’t want to waste the precious quiet time. She curled up under the blankets and rested her hand on her belly. “I think things are finally looking up for us, little one,” she whispered. She gasped as the child fluttered inside her as if in agreement. “Oh, stars, not you too,” she muttered. “One Force-sensitive child is more than enough in this family, thank you very much.” Chuckling to herself, she drifted back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:
> 
> dar’manda = a state of not being Mandalorian  
> buir = parent, mother, father  
> ad = child, son, daughter  
> briikase = happy


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din goes on a job interview.

Din stepped off the transport in Clarvos City and checked his chronometer. The flight to Thantos Prime had taken longer than promised and he only had about forty-five minutes to get across town to the academy for his interview. He hailed a private speeder and threw his duffel bag into the back. “Clarvos Academy, please.” He hoped he didn’t look too disheveled after the long ride in an overcrowded transport, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. 

The driver dropped him off at the entrance to the campus fifteen minutes before the interview and Din hurried through the gates. The buildings were sleek, cream colored stone, spread out over several acres. Fortunately, the administration building was just inside the gates and clearly marked. Slinging his duffel over his shoulder, Din walked through the front doors.

A crisply dressed young woman looked up from her desk. “Can I help you?” she said. She looked doubtful about it.

“I have an interview with Colonel Braxden,” Din said. “My transport was delayed. I came straight from the spaceport.”

She consulted a data pad. “Ah, Mr. Djarin?” He nodded. “We’d almost given up on you. Have a seat and we’ll have a cadet escort you to the Colonel’s office as soon as possible.” She waved toward a row of chairs against the wall. Din dropped into the closest one, sliding his duffel underneath. So far this was not going very well. 

Five minutes before his interview time, a teenaged boy in a neatly pressed grey uniform walked up to him, saluted smartly, and said, “If you’ll follow me, sir.” Din stood, picking up his duffel and followed the cadet, who didn’t have a hair out of place. Din ran his hand through his own hair, which Mariana never failed to remind him was always on the unruly side. This was definitely not going well. _Oh, well, at least I tried_.

Colonel Braxden was a silver-haired, dark-skinned man about twenty years older than Din. His uniform was even crisper and tidier than the cadet’s or the receptionist’s. He dismissed the cadet, who saluted and pivoted on his heel like a toy soldier.

“Mr. Djarin,” the Colonel began in a severe voice. Din instinctively dropped into parade rest, his hands clasped loosely behind his back. 

“Yes, Colonel,” he replied. “Sorry I wasn’t here earlier, but my transport was delayed. I got here as quickly as I could, sir.”

Braxden gave a little sigh and gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.” Din slid his duffel under the chair before sitting ramrod straight in the chair.

Braxden settled into his own chair behind the desk and leaned back slightly. “I’ve already seen several candidates for this position, and quite frankly, the only reason you’re here at all is because I owe Greef Karga a favor from way back.”

This was absolutely, definitely not going well. “I’m sorry to waste your time, Colonel.” Din started to rise from his seat, wondering why the Colonel had even asked him to sit in the first place.

Braxden waved his hand, indicating that Din should sit back down. “You aren’t wasting my time, Mr. Djarin. Granted, you aren’t as put together as the other applicants, but you got here on time, despite circumstances that were out of your control. One of the other candidates spent ten minutes in the ‘fresher fixing his tie and hair and who knows what else, but that made him late to his appointment. We do not like tardiness here at Clarvos Academy. Our cadets lose points for sloppiness, of course, but they lose more for being late to assignment. You’re one up on the other fellow already.”

Braxden paused and picked up a sheaf of papers and a pen. “So, I have only two questions for you. First, why do you want this job? And second, why should I give it to you?” He raised one eyebrow expectantly.

Din cleared his throat. “I want this job because, honestly, I need it.”

Braxden nodded and made a note. “Karga mentioned you’d left the Guild. May I ask why?”

“Bounty hunting isn’t exactly safe,” Din said. “It’s not the right kind of job for a man with a family.” Braxden raised his eyebrow again. “I don’t want to put my wife or son at risk any more. That’s why I left the Guild.”

Braxden nodded. “And why should I consider hiring an ex-bounty hunter to train my cadets? They’re going to be officers; they need to learn how to fight fairly, with honor. In my experience, bounty hunters tend to fight dirty.”

“I know how to fight with honor. I was raised as a Mandalorian,” Din said. This caused both of Braxden’s eyebrows to go up, and he scribbled several notes on his papers. “Didn’t Karga mention that?”

“No, actually. He simply said he’d worked with you before.” The Colonel narrowed his eyes. “Like I said, I owe him a favor, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to believe everything he tells me. Or everything you tell me, for that matter.”

Din reined in his anger. _You’re already on thin ice here; don’t blow it_. “I am _dar’manda_. But just because I no longer follow The Way doesn’t mean I’ve rejected everything the Mando’ade taught me. I will teach your cadets how to respect an enemy as well as defeat him. I will teach them how to die a warrior’s death, if need be. But I can also teach them when discretion is the better part of valor, as the old adage goes. Not that long ago, I was willing to die rather than remove my helmet. I know what true honor is now. And that’s what I’d teach my students.

“One of the pillars of the Creed is _bajur_ , the teaching of the young. I still believe in that. I was a Foundling. My parents were killed and I was taken in by the Mando’ade. They taught me how to survive; my wife and son have taught me how to live. I’d like to pass those lessons, _both_ of those lessons, on to the next generation.”

Braxden set down his pen and steepled his fingers. “Impressive. But if you don’t mind, I’d like a little demonstration of your abilities before I make up my mind.” He rose and gestured for Din to stand as well. He then led the way out of the office and down the hall to a set of double doors that opened onto a dirt-floored courtyard with a series of targets and dummies at the far end.

The Colonel went to a large cabinet next to the doors and opened it, revealing a selection of weapons. It was _almost_ as impressive as the arsenal Din had built up over the years.

“How many of these weapons are you familiar with?” Braxden asked.

Din looked carefully over the racks before saying, “All of them.”

Braxden raised his eyebrows again. “ _All_ of them?”

Din nodded. “I’ve used all of them, or something very similar, at one time or another. Some of these aren’t as sophisticated as the Mandalorian versions I’m used to, but I shouldn’t have any problem with any of them.” He turned to look Braxden in the eye. “I’m even passable with a lightsaber, if you have one.”

Braxden laughed. “Since when do Mandalorians use Jedi weapons?”

“I use what I have to,” Din replied, bristling. “I recovered the Darksaber from an Imperial sympathizer and returned it to the Mando’ade before I set aside my beskar. The Jedi are not my enemy.”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Braxden said with a nod. “Very expedient. But also very practical.” He gestured at the cabinet. “Pick out any three and show me what you’ve got. If you can impress me, I’ll believe you.”

Din selected a sniper’s rifle, a blaster that was notorious for being nearly impossible to use at long range, and a wicked looking hooked staff. He nailed every single bullseye with the rifle, which wasn’t really that impressive, since the weapon was designed for exactly that. But when he also nailed every bullseye with the blaster from the same distance, Braxden started to look interested. Finally, Din took the staff, gave it a few practice twirls and then charged across the courtyard to take out each of the dummies with a different tactic: one was decapitated, another was speared through the chest, a third was dismembered, and a fourth was simply slammed to the ground and pinned down by the throat. When he was finished, Din twirled the staff behind his back and brought it back to rest in front of him, with the butt resting on the ground. He was a bit out of breath, a consequence of having been out of practice for so long, but he didn’t think he’d done too badly.

Braxden simply stared at him for a long moment, then bowed gracefully. “I’d doff my hat if I was wearing one,” he said with a smile. “That was a hell of a show, Djarin.” He held out his hand and Din shook it. “I like your style, and I like your attitude. Welcome aboard.”

Din felt his mouth gape open. “I … I’ve got the job?”

“You’ve got the job,” Braxden said firmly. “How soon can you start?”

“Um … I need to go back for my family, get a few things out of storage … a few days, I guess?” Din was still a bit in shock. He’d hoped that the demonstration would swing things in the right direction, but he hadn’t held out much hope of actually getting the job after his poor first impression.

“I’ll give you a week,” Braxden said. “If you can start earlier, great. If not, you’ll have time to get yourself and your family settled in before you hit the ground running. And believe me, you’ll be running.” He helped Din put the weapons away, then led him back into the building. “You’ll be teaching the first and second year students basic hand-to-hand combat and self-defense, as well as how to handle a blaster without shooting their feet off. About half of our students are the children of local elites who want a prestigious private education, and they only take two years of combat training. The ones who are here to join the military as officers will take two more years of more specialized training. Some of them want to be pilots, and they’ll be trained by the flight school, but the rest will be yours. You’ll help them choose which weapons they want to concentrate on, and train them in those weapons. They aren’t going to be front-line soldiers, but they need to know how to take care of themselves if their troops need them.”

They returned to Braxden’s office, where the Colonel fetched a data pad and Din picked up his duffel. “Come on, we’ll get you in the system.” Braxden led him to another office, where a Lieutenant saluted smartly.

“Mondella, this is our new weapons master, Din Djarin. He’ll be starting next week. Get him set up.”

“Yes, sir,” Mondella said. He took the data pad from Braxden and pulled out a chair for Din. Braxden took his leave and suddenly, Din was answering questions and filling out forms, which was a novel experience.

“As far as lodging goes,” Lieutenant Mondella said, “we can offer you a room in the barracks unless you’d rather live off campus. In which case we can give you a small lodging allowance to offset part of your rent.”

“I’ll take the lodging allowance,” Din said. 

Mondella nodded. “If you need help finding a place, I can recommend a few apartment complexes on this side of town. My brother-in-law is in real estate and can probably get you a nice deal. If you let me know what you’re looking for, I can comm him and get the ball rolling for you.”

“Um … at least two bedrooms. We’re in a one-room apartment right now and it would really be nice to have one bedroom for my wife and I and another for the kids.”

Mondella laughed. “I can imagine. How many kids do you have?”

“Just one at the moment, but number two will be here in a few months,” Din said with a smile. 

“I’ve got three,” Mondella said. “All girls.” He pulled out a small data pad and pulled up some holos, which Din dutifully admired. He should probably get some holos of Ad’ika but it had never occurred to him. He was still fairly new to the whole being a dad thing, after all.

“Okay, we’re done here,” Mondella said. “Can I do anything else for you?”

“If there’s somewhere I can comm my wife, that would be great. The spaceport charges an arm and a leg for off world calls.”

“Of course. We’ve got a comm center for the students; you can use that. Do you have a place to stay tonight?”

“No, I came straight here from the ‘port. My flight was late.”

“I’ll get you a bed in the barracks if you’d like.”

“I’d appreciate that, Lieutenant,” Din said. He liked this guy.

“No worries,” Mondella said. “And my name’s Garrick. You’re a civilian, so you can forget all the Lieutenant stuff. I don’t stand on ceremony.”

“Well, thanks, Garrick. I’m Din.”

“We’ll have you and your wife over for dinner as soon as you’re settled.” Garrick stood up. “Let me show you the comm center, then I’ll take you over to the barracks.”

The comm center was as sleek and clean as the rest of the facility, and soon Din was ensconced in a cozy little booth waiting for the connection to go through. When Mariana’s face finally popped up, he took a deep breath.

“Hey,” she said. “How’d it go?” She looked a bit nervous.

“Start packing, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said with what he knew was a goofy grin. “I got the job!”

She shrieked. “What? Oh, stars, Din, this is wonderful! Did you hear that, Ad’ika? Daddy got the job!” Ad’ika’s face came into view, his eyes bright and his grin as wide as the galaxy. 

Din’s heart swelled with joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:  
> bajur = education, the raising and nurturing of children - a wider meaning than just school work, includes preparation for life and survival


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are looking up for the Djarin family. They find an apartment, Din and Mariana have some sexy time, and they all make some new friends.

It had been a long couple of days and Mariana just wanted to find a hotel room and take a nap. Unfortunately, before they’d taken two steps outside the spaceport, Din’s comm pinged. “It’s Mondella,” he said. “His brother-in-law has an apartment to show us.”

“Can we do it tomorrow?” She was tired and Ad’ika was getting a little cranky after the long flight on the crowded transport.

Din typed for a moment, then shook his head. “It might not be there tomorrow,” he said. “And he says it’s a really great deal. We should go now.” 

Mariana sighed. Din rubbed her back and kissed her temple. “I know you’re tired, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said softly. “But if we can get an apartment squared away …”

“You’re right,” she said, forcing herself to smile. “Let’s go.”

They climbed into a speeder cab and Din read directions to the driver. Ad’ika glued his face to the window, watching the new city flash by outside. He pointed at things and jabbered away, clearly feeling less cranky now that they were off the boring transport.

The apartment was in a charming, low-slung building about three blocks from the Academy where Din would be working. She fell in love with it at once. Two bedrooms, a kitchen that was actually big enough to move around in, a large living area, a small walled patio and, best of all, a full sized ‘fresher with a real bathtub as well as a shower. When the building manager said it came fully furnished and they could move in right away, all it took was one look at her face for Din to say, “We’ll take it.”

And so, just a few hours after they’d landed, Mariana was in the kitchen fixing dinner while Din and Ad’ika unpacked. She hummed a half-remembered tune from her childhood as she chopped vegetables and waited for the oven to heat up. 

“You’re in a better mood,” Din said, slipping his arms around her from behind and kissing the back of her neck. 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a proper kitchen,” she said, leaning back into his embrace. “I was just remembering how my mom and aunt would have us kids help them cook. Mom would sing this song … I can’t quite remember it … but Dad would try to get her to dance with him and then she’d step on his feet and they’d end up laughing …” She smiled at the memory. “I hope our kids get to have memories like that.”

“They will,” he whispered in her ear. “I can guarantee you’ll step on my feet if we ever try to dance.” He chuckled and she swatted him with a dishcloth. 

“Get out of here,” she said. “I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.” 

After dinner, Din and Ad’ika played Froggy vs. Ball, a new game that involved finding new and ever more exciting ways to pit the two toys against each other. Ball was the champion at bouncing and rolling, but Froggy was best at flying and balancing on Ad’ika’s head. It was a draw when it came to fighting, because while Ball could bop Froggy firmly on the head, Froggy could drape himself over Ball and pin him to the ground. 

Finally, Ad’ika’s ears began to droop and Din picked him up. “Ready for bed, kiddo?” An adorable tiny yawn accompanied his nod. 

“Me, too,” Mariana said. “It’s been a long day.” She stretched and rose from the couch, where she’d been curled up watching them play.

Din gave her a smoldering look. “I’ll put him to bed and join you in a minute.”

Mariana smiled to herself as she went into the larger bedroom, while Din took Ad’ika into the smaller one across the hall. She undressed and crawled under the covers, releasing her hair from the practical knot she’d put it up in that morning. Din liked her hair down in bed.

She waited for him to finish putting Ad’ika to bed. They had a whole ritual, even when the kid could hardly keep his eyes open, so she knew it would be a little while. She was tired herself, and had started to doze off when she heard the bedroom door open. 

She snuggled under the blankets as she watched Din undress. _Stars, he’s beautiful_ , she thought. It had been far too long since they’d had this much privacy and suddenly she wasn’t as tired as she’d been a few minutes ago. She lifted the covers and he slithered in beside her. “Hello,” he said, softly. 

“Hello yourself,” she replied.

Din made love the way he fought: quietly, deliberately, and very, very well. He knew every inch of her body and exactly what she liked and what she didn’t. She knew him just as thoroughly and it didn’t take long for both of them to find satisfaction. And then came what Mariana thought was the best part of all: falling asleep in each other’s arms, bodies pressed together until she forgot where she ended and he began. 

She woke first in the morning, mostly because the baby was big enough now to press uncomfortably against her bladder. Before she crawled out of bed to use the ‘fresher, though, she took a long moment to watch Din sleep. He never looked more beautiful than when he was asleep, his face perfectly relaxed and his hair all mussed. She’d only been privy to this sight for a few months, since he’d come back from facing Moff Gideon, and it never failed to warm her heart. She pressed a kiss against his forehead before she got up, and he mumbled something unintelligible before smashing his face into the pillow and falling even more deeply asleep. 

She slipped on her robe, visited the ‘fresher, and checked on Ad’ika — who was still sound asleep and somehow looked even more adorable than his father did — before climbing back into bed. Din stirred enough to spoon up against her back, pressing a sleepy kiss against the back of her neck, and cradling her belly in his hands. “What time is it?,” he mumbled.

“Too early,” she said. “Go back to sleep, _cyar’ika_.”

“Okay,” he said, nuzzling his face into her hair. She felt his breathing change almost immediately as he dropped back into sleep. Her own breath fell into sync with his and she drifted off as well. It really had been a long couple of days.

*************************************  
Din walked through the gates of the Academy much more confidently than he had the first time. It helped that he was wearing freshly ironed clothes and that Mariana had fixed his hair so he didn’t look like he’d just crawled out of bed. So far, everyone he’d met at the Academy was so … tidy. It was not something he’d had to worry about when he was still wearing the armor. He’d made sure his armor was always clean and well-repaired, but no one noticed or cared if you hadn’t combed your hair very well or if your shirt had a small stain on it. 

He checked in with the receptionist, who gave him a much warmer welcome this time around. A cadet escorted him to the Colonel’s office. This one was a girl, her hair done up in intricate braids. She glanced sideways at him a few times, and he thought she blushed when he looked back. _Probably just shy_ , he thought. _And curious about the new instructor_.

The Colonel greeted him warmly. “Are you and your family settling in?”

“Yes, sir,” he replied. “We got an apartment right away, fortunately, so I can start work any time.”

Braxden nodded. “Good. Good. We have our weekly staff meeting tomorrow morning, so if you can be here for that, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the faculty and then to the students at weekly assembly tomorrow afternoon. That’ll give you the weekend to go over your rosters and prepare for classes, so you can start off the new week fresh.”

“Sounds good.” Din was starting to feel a bit nervous. _This is really happening_ , he thought. He was looking forward to working with the students, but realizing that he was going to be solely responsible for the education of a cohort of younglings was sobering.

“I’ve got a meeting in five, so I’ll turn you over to Lieutenant Mondella. He’ll get you your keys, show you your classroom and the rest of the facilities, explain the daily schedule, etc.” He walked Din back down the hallway to Mondella’s office. “See you tomorrow at 0800 for the staff meeting, Mr. Djarin.”

Garrick kicked a chair out for Din as soon as the Colonel had closed the door. “Have a seat, Din,” he said. “How do you like the apartment? Trell says you were lucky that one came up when it did.”

“We love it,” Din said, sinking into the chair. He’d commed and texted Mondella quite a bit since he’d been hired and he already felt comfortable around the man. “My son is fascinated by the bathtub. We’ve only been there two days and he’s had about six baths already.”

Garrick laughed. “My girls love bath time, too. How old is he?”

“Chronologically, he’s fifty, but his species ages a lot slower than ours. Developmentally, he’s still a toddler.”

Garrick looked slightly uncomfortable. “Oh, I … I didn’t know he was adopted.”

Din leaned forward. “Anything wrong with that?,” he asked, with just a hint of threat in his voice.

“No, no,” Garrick stumbled. “Not with me. It’s just … well, there’s a pretty sizable pro-Imperial faction in the city amongst the elite and a lot of them send their kids here. They’re xenophobes; not sure if you’ve noticed, but there aren’t a lot of non-humans in Clarvos City.”

“I hadn’t, but now that you mention it …” Din sighed. “Is this going to be a problem?”

“Not really,” Garrick said. “Colonel Braxden won’t care; most of the military folk are pretty liberal minded. The planetary government is allied to the Republic and we have a few non-human officers stationed in the city, just not as many as in other parts of the planet. You might get some flak from some of the parents if their kids don’t get the grades they think they deserve, but every instructor gets that.” He shrugged. “I just assumed … well, I shouldn’t have assumed.”

Din nodded. “Thanks for the heads up.”

“Well, then, let’s get you set up,” Garrick said, clapping his hands together to move the conversation along. He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out some key cards and a data pad.

The rest of the day went by in a bit of a blur, as Garrick showed Din the classroom and gymnasium he would be teaching in, the staff mess hall, staff lounge, and the locations of all the staff ‘freshers. He made sure all of Din’s key cards were properly programmed, and set up his data pad with an updated map of the campus and the staff comm channel. 

“I think that’s all,” he said, finally. “Why don’t you come by for dinner tonight and I can give you a heads up on what to expect from the staff meeting in the morning?” He keyed his address into Din’s pad. “Tress and the girls are dying to meet you and your family.”

“I’ll check with Mariana and let you know,” Din promised. He wasn’t used to having friends and being casually invited over for meals was going to take some getting used to. 

“See you tonight, then, or in the morning,” Garrick said. “Got to get back to work.” He clapped his hand on Din’s shoulder with a grin and walked away. Yes, having friends was definitely going to take some getting used to.

***********************  
Mariana was thrilled with the idea of going to the Mondella’s for dinner. With Din starting work in the morning, it would be nice to have at least one acquaintance she could rely on if she needed anything. She made him comm Garrick as soon as he got home to confirm and find out what time they should arrive.

“This is weird,” Din complained as they walked the few blocks to the Mondella’s home. 

“What’s weird about it?,” she asked. “We’re having dinner with friends. It’s what people do.”

“But I haven’t been ‘people’ for very long,” he admitted. “Not a lot of dinner parties among bounty hunters. Or Mandalorians.”

“Well, you’re ‘people’ now, my dear, so you’d better get used to acting like one.” She slipped her arm around his waist and leaned her head against him. He shifted Ad’ika to his other arm and leaned into her embrace. 

“I’ll do my best,” he murmured in her ear. 

Garrick greeted them at the door with a drink in his hand. “Come on in,” he said. “Dinner’s almost ready.” 

The house was about twice the size of their apartment, and they clearly needed the room, because their three little girls were running around like wild Banthas. “He’s so cute!,” the oldest one squealed as soon as she saw Ad’ika. The girls swarmed Din, who looked a bit stunned. Mariana suppressed a laugh.

“Sorry about them,” Garrick’s wife said, appearing at Mariana’s side with a glass of wine in her hand. “I’m Tress and these hooligans are my daughters. Lina, Felice, and Becca.” She lifted her glass out of the way as the girls flew past with Ad’ika in their clutches, giggling and shouting. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Something non alcoholic,” Mariana said. “And I’m Mariana, by the way.”

Tress nodded. “That’s right, Garrick mentioned you were pregnant. We’ve got some sparkling water or there’s the molo juice the girls like. It’s a little on the sweet side, though.”

“Water is fine,” Mariana said. 

Tress dodged the girls again, who were now chasing each other, with Ad’ika riding piggy back on the oldest girl’s back, an enormous smile on his face. Mariana looked across the room at Din, who just shrugged and shook his head with a smile. Garrick seemed as immune to the chaos as his wife was, leaning against the wall to stay out of the path of the rampaging children and sipping at his drink.

Tress returned with Mariana’s water and called out to the girls, “Five minutes till dinner. Wash your hands!”

“Okay, mama!,” came a chorus of small voices and they dashed into the ‘fresher with Ad’ika in tow.

Dinner was a bit tumultuous, as the girls kept asking questions and jumping out of their seats to fetch a favorite toy to show to Ad’ika. After the meal, the girls dragged their new friend off to play in one of the bedrooms, leaving the adults in (relative) peace and quiet.

Tress refilled everyone’s drink and then plunked herself down next to Mariana. “They’re not usually so crazy; they’re just excited to meet someone new. So … how are you settling in?”

“Pretty well,” Mariana said. “It’s only been a few days but I already feel very much at home. I think we’re going to like it here.”

Tress reached into her pocket and pulled out a data chip. “Before I forget, I wanted to give you this.”

Mariana took the chip. “What is it?”

Tress leaned in and whispered. “It’s a holovid clip of your husband’s ‘audition’,” she said, making air quotes. “It’s been making the rounds at the Academy and it’s been very popular with the female staff and students.” She winked. “Just thought you’d appreciate a heads up.”

“What do you mean?” Mariana wasn’t quite sure where Tress was going.

“I mean,” Tress said with a laugh, “that half the women on campus have a crush on him and he hasn’t even officially started yet. If I was you, I’d make myself very visible, just to remind everyone that he’s taken.”

“Because of a video clip of his job interview?”

“Just watch it,” Tress said. Mariana tucked the chip in her pocket for later. 

*****************************  
The evening had gone quite well, Din thought. The little girls had been a bit overwhelming at first, but Ad’ika had thoroughly enjoyed having someone to play with and Mariana seemed to get along well with Garrick’s wife. Maybe it was the Coruscanti whiskey Garrick had kept pouring, but Din had really enjoyed himself, too.

When they got home, he tucked Ad’ika into bed. “Did you have a good time, kiddo?,” he asked. Ad’ika nodded sleepily. “Sleep well, _ad_.” He kissed the little green head and headed for his own room.

He found Mariana staring at her data pad with a strange look on her face. “What’s up?,” he asked, sitting beside her to pull off his boots.

“Um … Tress gave me a vid chip.”

“Something interesting?”

“You could say that,” she said. She held out the data pad. He pressed the key and a holovid popped up.

“It’s me,” he said, puzzled. It was a video of him in the courtyard with Colonel Braxden on the day of his interview.

“It’s from the security footage,” Mariana explained. “Someone downloaded it and started passing it around.”

“But why?” He watched the vid play out. “I can see I made a few mistakes here and there, but overall I thought I did well. The Colonel certainly liked it.”

Mariana raised an eyebrow. “He wasn’t the only one,” she said. She laughed. “Apparently, this vid has been making the rounds of the women on campus.”

“What?”

“Din, I know you just see the mistakes you might have made, but …” She cleared her throat and traced her finger down the side of his face before whispering in his ear, “it’s pretty hot.”

“Hot?”

She bit his earlobe. “Yeah, hot. Believe it or not, a lot of women find watching a man handle a … staff … like that quite _stimulating_.”

Din was mortified. “And people are watching this? Like the people I’m going to be working with?”

She nodded. “Students, too.”

He jumped up. “Oh, shit. Students?” This was not good.

Mariana laughed and pulled him back down beside her. “It’s okay. Lots of girls have crushes on their teachers. I had a few back in my day, believe me.”

“But …”

“You’ll be fine. Tress just wanted to give us a heads up.”

Din buried his face in his hands. “I have to face all these people tomorrow at the staff meeting,” he mumbled. “And all the students at the assembly.” Mariana rubbed his back. “Oh, stars, that explains why that cadet was looking at me like that yesterday!” How was he going to keep from blushing himself when he walked on campus tomorrow?

“You’ll be okay,” Mariana told him. “Just ignore them, and make sure you mention me a lot.” She laughed. “Once they know you’re married, most of them will back off, and the rest … well, I’ll deal with them.” 

He raised his head from his hands. “What are you going to do, shoot them with your blaster?,” he teased.

“Of course not,” she grinned. “You know I’m a lousy shot. I’ll just quietly take them aside and explain exactly what I’ll do to them if they lay a hand on you.”

“Which would be …?”

“Shoot them with my blaster,” she said matter-of-factly. “They don’t know how bad a shot I am.” She winked and kissed his nose. 

“Oh, you are a _terrible_ shot,” he said, kissing her back. “The worst shot I’ve ever seen.”

“Good thing I make up for it in other ways,” she said. And Din forgot all about the vid clip.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Din learns about staff meetings.

The staff meeting was held in a lecture hall just off the administration building. Din ducked into the closest ‘fresher on his way to make sure his shirt was still wrinkle free and his hair hadn’t escaped from the carefully combed style Mariana had fussed over that morning. “I swear, _cyar’ika_ ,” she said, “your hair has a mind of its own.”

Satisfied that he looked presentable, Din walked into the lecture hall. It was about half full, which meant he wasn’t too early or, more importantly, too late. Colonel Braxden waved him over to a seat in the first row. Garrick was seated a few rows back and gave Din a friendly nod. Most of the staff were male, but there were quite a few women already in the hall, and Din was certain that more than one was eyeing him in a very unprofessional way. _I should have brought the helmet_ , he thought idly.

Braxden stepped behind the podium, called the meeting to order and ran through some routine business before he gestured to Din to join him. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce our new weapons master, Din Djarin. Mr. Djarin will be starting next week but I asked him to join us today so I could introduce him to you. I’m sure you’re all aware how difficult it is to begin in the middle of term, so please extend any assistance you can offer.”

Din felt the staff sizing him up. He sized them up right back. It was an old habit, and as his eyes drifted over the assembled staff, he saw some of them stiffen, some of them shrink down in their seats, and more than a few of the women smile boldly. He ignored all of them, concentrating on the few who looked him dead in the eye. Those were the ones who would try to challenge him. Except for Garrick, of course, who gave him a genuine smile.

Braxden signaled for Din to sit back down, which he did gladly. The rest of the meeting droned on and Din was at a complete loss since he had no frame of reference. When the Colonel dismissed them, Garrick found him immediately.

“Don’t worry, they get better once you know what’s going on,” he said. “Still not exactly the highlight of the week, though.” He laughed. “Are you sticking around all day or will you just come back for the afternoon assembly?”

“I’ll be back about an hour before the assembly. We’ve still got a few errands to take care of,” Din replied.

Garrick nodded. “Uh, oh, here comes Sergeant Honnal.” He tilted his head toward a tall, red-haired woman who was striding forcefully toward them. “Tress said she’d be the first one to pounce, like a querral-duck on a June-bug. Good luck!” He chuckled and slapped Din on the back. “See you later.”

“Mr. Djarin,” said Honnal, extending her hand. “A pleasure to meet you. I’m Sergeant Amalie Honnal, military history and theory instructor.”

Din shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Sergeant Honnal.”

Honnal stepped in front of him, blocking his path. She smiled brightly. “If you need anything, just ask. It can be intimidating at first, I know. And please, call me Amalie.”

“Thank you,” he said carefully. She must have seen the holovid, considering the way she was looking at him. _Damn you, Garrick, why’d you have to leave me here alone_? 

“So you’re a civilian,” Honnal said. “I was surprised the Colonel didn’t hire a military officer. You must have some very good qualifications.” Yes, she’d _definitely_ seen the holovid.

“I was raised as a Mandalorian,” he said simply. “And I was a bounty hunter for many years.”

Honnal raised her eyebrows. “Mandalorian? I thought you all wore armor and helmets and all that.”

“I did. But I’m _dar’manda_ now.”

“Our gain,” she said, looking up at him through her eyelashes. “It’s a shame to hide that face under a helmet.”

“That’s exactly what my wife says,” he told her. The look of disappointment on her face made it hard for him not to laugh. Mariana was going to tease him about this, but he knew she’d love to hear the story.

“Ah,” Honnal said. “Well, she’s a lucky woman.”

“I think I’m the lucky one,” Din said quietly. “Again, it was nice to meet you, Sergeant. If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”

***********************  
Mariana took pity on Din and accompanied him to the Academy for the student assembly that afternoon. Tress had commed her that morning to say that the girls were already clamoring for another playdate with Ad’ika, so it was no problem getting her to watch him for a few hours.

“Stop fussing with your jacket,” she admonished him as they approached the campus gates. “You look fine.”

“I’m nervous,” he admitted. “I’ve never done this before.”

“You survived the staff meeting,” she reminded him. “I’m sure you can survive a room full of students.”

“An _auditorium_ full of students,” he clarified. She slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow and hugged his arm tight. It was quite endearing to see her big, bad bounty hunter so worried about facing a bunch of teenagers.

She knew he would be fine, but he was still a bit thrown off balance by the reaction to the holovid. He’d told her about Sergeant Honnal’s attempt to hit on him, and the looks he’d gotten from some of the other women at the staff meeting. It clearly embarrassed him, even though she’d assured him he’d done nothing wrong. 

It was her first time on the Academy grounds, and she took a moment to admire the sleek stone buildings. It was much newer than the Collegium she’d attended, but it had the same scholarly feel. A good school always felt like a school, no matter the style of the buildings.

They stopped by Garrick’s office on the way to the auditorium. The lieutenant jumped up from his chair with a grin. “Brought reinforcements, eh, Din?” 

Mariana laughed. “Well, Tress said it might be a good idea to make myself visible on campus …” She’d even gone out and bought a new dress to wear, one that simultaneously flattered her figure and showed off her baby bump. It wouldn’t be very long before she’d have to resort to loose fitting maternity clothing, but for now, she could still pull off a moderately sexy look. 

“He told you about Honnal?” Garrick asked.

Din actually blushed, and Mariana leaned into him, slipping her arm around to rub reassuring circles on his back. “Yeah, poor baby,” she said, making a pouting face.

Din rolled his eyes at her. “You won’t think it’s so funny if she tries it in front of you,” he said.

“I hope she does,” Mariana shot back. Din raised his eyebrow and she smirked at him. “You’re not the only one who likes to fight, _cyar’ika_.”

“Didn’t know you were so feisty, Mariana,” Garrick said. “Remind me to stay on your good side.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Din muttered, which prompted Mariana to jab him in the ribs with her elbow. “Ow!”

Garrick laughed. “Stars, you two are hilarious!”

“We try,” Mariana said with a shrug. She was in quite a good mood today. Maybe it was the dress. Or maybe it was finally feeling like their life together was beginning properly. They had a home, a steady income, no one was actively trying to kill them or steal Ad’ika … just a normal couple with a kid and another on the way.

They chatted with Garrick for a while longer until an announcement came over the PA system reminding all students that the weekly assembly would begin in precisely fifteen minutes. “Have fun,” Garrick said with a chuckle. Mariana was glad he’d befriended Din; he needed someone to help him loosen up a bit. Around her and Ad’ika, he had no problem being himself, but around others, he still acted like he was encased in beskar. Having someone to pal around with would be good for him. She suspected he hadn’t done much of that in his life.

The auditorium was behind the administration building. Students were already streaming in through the main doors, but Din led her around to a side door, where the Colonel was waiting to greet them.

“Mr. Djarin,” Braxden said with a nod.

“Colonel Braxden, this is my wife, Mariana.” The Colonel shook her hand cordially.

“A pleasure to meet you,” he said. “My wife and I give a dinner party once a month and we rotate which staff members are invited. I’ll have her put you both down for the next one.”

“That sounds lovely,” Mariana said. “And thank you, Colonel, for giving my husband this incredible opportunity.” Din started to fidget a little out of embarrassment but she gave him a surreptitious kick. He always got uncomfortable when the situation called for charm and diplomacy; his previous modus operandi had always been to shoot first and ask questions later. She loved him dearly, but subtlety was not his strong point.

“I think he’s going to be a valuable addition to our staff,” the Colonel said. “I hope the students feel the same way.” He gestured for them to enter the auditorium and followed them in, then led the way to the side of the stage. A podium stood at the front of the stage, with a short row of chairs behind it. “Usually, it’s just me and the administrative staff up on stage for these assemblies,” Braxden explained, “but I’ll have you join us this time, Djarin. Normally, you’ll be supervising the cadets with the rest of the staff.” He turned to Mariana. “You can have a seat there in the front row; we always reserve it for parents and visitors.”

A few other people were sitting in the front row, including a snooty looking couple and a military officer with so many medals on her uniform jacket that Mariana was surprised the woman wasn’t listing to one side from the weight of them. “Good luck,” she said to Din. She fixed his hair, which was starting to stick up a bit in the back, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He squeezed her hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. _Oh, stars, this poor kid is going to have crazy hair_ , she thought, not for the first time. 

“I love you,” he whispered, kissing her just in front of her ear. Then he turned and followed the Colonel up the steps onto the stage. Mariana took a second to calm her breathing — a kiss in that spot always got her worked up — before settling down into an empty seat. It was a nice auditorium, with plush velvet seats, but they still weren’t the most comfortable. 

She looked behind her at the rapidly filling seats. The students were all in spotless uniforms and the staff were a mixture of military and civilian, but again, everyone was neatly dressed and looked highly polished. She spotted a red-haired female officer standing at the end of one of the rows, ushering cadets to their seats, but also shooting looks between her and Din. _Sergeant Honnal_ , she thought. Mariana leaned back in her seat and rubbed her hand over her belly. Honnal’s eyes narrowed and Mariana bit back a smile. _Oh, yes, definitely her_.

******************************

Din surveyed the auditorium. Close to five hundred students, a score or more instructors, and a handful of guests. Beside him sat the Academy physician, Dr. Killian; the Colonel’s assistant, Major Langley; the military liaison officer, Captain Plensol; and the civilian liaison, Ms. Dawkins. The Colonel stood at the podium and began addressing the students at 1530 on the dot.

“Cadets, welcome to this week’s assembly. Examinations are only four weeks away, so I advise you to start revising now to avoid last minute cram sessions. We all know how that worked out last term for the second years.” There was a subdued chuckle from some of the students that was quickly hushed by the staff stationed around the auditorium.

The Colonel went on with a few more routine announcements before glancing back at Din. “As you are all aware, we have been without a Weapons Master for two months, after the sudden departure of Captain Dunbar. Some of you have been enjoying the respite from training, but I can assure you, that respite is over. Cadets, please welcome our new Weapons Master, Mr. Djarin.” He gestured for Din to stand. “Mr. Djarin will be starting next week and I would like to remind you all that even though he is a civilian, I expect you to accord him the same respect you would give to any officer on staff. You will address him as _Mister_ Djarin, or Sir, at all times. Is that understood?”

The cadets nodded and a murmur of “Yes, sir, Colonel, sir” rose from the crowd. 

“I’ll leave it up to him to acquaint you with his rather … unique … qualifications, but suffice it to say that you’re all going to learn quite a bit from Mr. Djarin that not many people in the galaxy have the opportunity to learn.”

This prompted a few giggles from the female students, which abruptly cut off after a glare from the Colonel. Din glanced down at Mariana, who winked at him. He felt his mouth twitch as he fought back a smile. _Glad she’s enjoying this_ , he thought wryly.

Braxden thanked him and Din sat back down while the assembly continued. He tried to pay attention to the Colonel, but kept stealing glances at Mariana, who was watching him intently. He felt quite warm under her steady gaze, and nearly fell out of his chair when she mimed a kiss, which made Langley chuckle under his breath.

When the assembly was finally over, she bounded up the steps onto the stage and slid her arms around his waist. “Sorry,” she said quietly. “You just looked so uncomfortable, I couldn’t resist. I shouldn’t have teased you.”

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his forehead against hers. “Don’t worry, I’ll think of some way to pay you back, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said.

Her eyes flashed. “Ooh, I’m scared,” she said, scrunching up her nose. He couldn’t resist kissing the tip of it, but before he went any further he realized they were still on the stage and very few people had left the auditorium. He glanced up to see a large portion of the cadets watching wide-eyed, poking each other in the ribs and smirking.

“Um, _cyar’ika_ , we have an audience,” he whispered.

“As long as Sergeant Honnal is part of it,” she said, sliding one hand along the waistband of his pants, which almost caused him to yelp.

“You are positively wicked,” he said, letting his own hand stray toward her hip.

“Just staking my claim,” she replied, taking his other hand and pressing it to her belly.

He gently rubbed his hand across her stomach. “How long is Tress keeping Ad’ika?,” he murmured.

She laughed. “As long as we need her to,” she replied.

“Good,” he said. “Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone hates staff meetings, am I right?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din starts his new job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completely made up a species here because I was too lazy to research one online 😄

Din spent the weekend going over his class rosters and the notes that Dunbar had left. He had approximately 250 students, mostly the first and second year students who were required to learn basic fighting and weapons skills, but there were about 50 upperclassmen who were in the advanced classes. Each basic class had between 45 and 50 students, and he would have an assistant in those, a young corporal who had been covering the classes since Captain Dunbar had left. He wasn’t as worried about them; it was the two advanced classes, with roughly 25 students each that he was concerned about.

Mariana helped him go over Dunbar’s notes. “In every class, there are three kinds of students,” she said. “There are the ones who are going to do well no matter who the teacher is because they just get it; you don’t have to worry about them. And there are the ones who need a little bit of guidance to grasp the concept but will be okay once you give them a nudge. Then there are the ones who are going to struggle no matter what because they just don’t get it; those are the ones you have to concentrate on.”

She laid out the roster for the third year class. “Like here. These three are naturals. They’re going to be fine. I wouldn’t worry about them.” She put a check mark next to their names on the printout, then looked back at the notes. She put a star next to two more names. “These two … they’re the ones you’re going to have to spend extra time on. Everyone else improved from one skills test to the next, even if it was just a little bit, but they didn’t. This one even got worse. Fighting isn’t their strong suit, so it’s going to take some extra work to get them up to speed.”

Din nodded. “Glenna Laren and Pando Florenz. Looks like she’s okay with weapons but her hand to hand skills are practically non-existent. And he’s decent at hand to hand but can’t shoot straight to save his life.”

“So, put them together and you get one decent fighter and … well, me,” Mariana laughed. “And you managed to teach me how to shoot, more or less, so I think you’ll be okay there.”

She pulled out the roster for the fourth year class and put check marks next to five names. “These are your standouts in this class. You’ll have fun with them. But these three …” She starred three names. “Nandoo Bendar, Helix Shandilon, and Klaarmat X’intari. They consistently score low on every assessment.”

Din grunted. “Klaarmat is Bendaski. He should be able to fight rings around these kids, and Bendaski eyesight is legendary among sharpshooters. Garrick told me there aren’t many non-humans in the city, and some of the locals are pretty xenophobic.” He tapped his data pad. “His grades in other classes are okay, but not great. But his intake scores were very high.”

“What about the other two?” Mariana asked.

“Looks like Shandilon is a bit of a slacker, but Bendar had decent grades and progress reports.” He clicked deeper in Shandilon’s record. “Hmm … Shandilon’s parents donated a lot of money to the Academy. There’s a note here from one of his instructors last year saying he technically failed the class but was allowed to pass over the objection of the instructor. Who was not asked back this year.”

Mariana frowned. “There’s one at every school. At least he’s in his final year, so you’ll only have to deal with him until the end of the term. But still … be careful with that one.”

Din rubbed his hand over his face. “I hate politics,” he muttered. 

“Welcome to academia,” Mariana said wryly, kissing his cheek. 

**********************************  
The first three class periods of the day went by easily enough. Corporal Fennic had them well in hand and all Din had to do was introduce himself and watch as the students ran through the exercises. The fourth period, which preceded the lunch break, was his third year class. Fennic shooed the last of the younglings out and gave Din a nod. “Good luck, sir,” he said.

The students began to trickle in, all of them openly curious about their new instructor. Din stood quietly until the final bell rang and then pulled out his data pad to take roll call. Each cadet barked out a crisp “Here, sir,” and stood at attention as he called their names. 

Glenna Laren was tall and lanky, with a long blonde braid that reached halfway down her back. She looked awkward, as if she hadn’t grown into her limbs yet, which probably explained her lack of skill at hand to hand fighting. She avoided eye contact, and blushed when Din did catch her eye for a moment. _Well_ , she _saw the holovid_ , he sighed.

Pando Florenz was compact, dark haired and a bit nervous. Even standing at attention, the boy could not quite stay still, one hand fidgeting at his side and one foot tapping gently against the floor. No wonder he had a hard time hitting a target; that infinitesimal moment of stillness that was necessary before pulling the trigger was likely nearly impossible for Florenz.

“Good morning, cadets,” Din began once he’d finished taking roll.

“Good morning, sir,” they chorused.

“At ease,” Din said. He watched as they all transitioned into a more relaxed stance. Florenz’ foot kept tapping. 

“As you know, I’m your new weapons master, Mr. Djarin,” Din went on. “As this is our first day together, I’d like to take the time to assess where you all are in your training and find out what your goals are. If I can’t get to all of you today, we’ll continue tomorrow. But first, I’m sure you’re all curious about me.”

The class perked up at that. Din clasped his hands behind his back, mimicking their at ease position, and began to walk back and forth in front of them, like his old drill instructor had done. “Colonel Braxden told you that I’m not with the Thantosian military, so you may be wondering what my qualifications are. My parents were killed during the Clone Wars, and I was taken in as a foundling by a clan of Mandalorians.” There was a sharp intake of breath from several of the cadets. “I was raised by them and swore the Creed as soon as I was old enough. I was trained in all the ways of combat known to the Mando’ade. I’ve fought as a soldier, as a mercenary, and spent many years as a member of the Guild of Bounty Hunters.”

A tall dark-skinned cadet raised his hand. “Yes, Cadet … Robbins, is it?”

“Yes, sir. May I ask a question, sir?” 

“Of course.”

“If you’re a Mandalorian, where’s your helmet?” The cadet next to him tried to shush him, but Din waved his hand.

“No, it’s a legitimate question,” he said. “I’m _dar’manda_ , which means I’ve abandoned the Creed. That’s why I no longer wear a helmet or armor.” He rubbed his thumb against his ring.

“May I ask why?” Robbins went on.

“I decided to abandon the Creed once I took on the responsibility of a family,” Din said carefully. “I adopted a foundling, and I got married. Neither my son nor my wife are Mando’ade, and I felt it was best if I wasn’t either.”

Robbins nodded. “Okay, that makes sense. Sorry for being nosy, sir, but I’ve always heard that Mandalorians are these incredibly dedicated warriors and …”

“And you wondered why anyone would give that up,” Din finished for him. “Many would not. Others have given it up for less.” He looked each of the cadets in the eye. “We are all individuals. We all have our own reasons for everything we do. I’m sure you all have a different reason for choosing the Academy, a different reason for choosing the officer training track. Whatever your reason, I will respect it. And I will respect your differences.” He nodded at them. “But I will still expect you all to do your best, even if something doesn’t come easily or naturally to you. Combat training is a valuable skill; it can literally mean the difference between life and death.”

“Yes, sir,” the cadets murmured.

“Very well,” Din said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s get started. Cadet Bex, you’re up first.”

****************************  
After lunch, Din had another second year class, which he mostly turned over to Fennic so that he had time to go over the fourth year class roster one more time. Because of Shandilon and Klaarmat, this was going to be his toughest class.

When the bell rang for the final period of the day, the second years scurried off. Fennic gave Din a fist bump and said, “See you tomorrow, boss.”

The senior cadets arrived promptly and stood respectfully against the wall until the final bell rang. Klaarmat was easy to pick out, the only non-human in the class. He stood a bit further apart from the rest of the class. Din hadn’t seen many Bendaski but the boy looked typical for the species. Greenish skin with a vaguely reptilian look to it, a slight ridge running from the top of the head down the back, keen orange eyes like a predatory bird, and delicately cupped ears that looked far too fragile for the rest of his body. 

As Din pulled out his data pad to take roll, a final student sauntered in, a tall boy with light brown, almost blond hair and an arrogant look about him. His uniform jacket had one button undone and his tie was crooked. He slipped into place beside one of the girls, whispering something she apparently found distasteful.

“Cadet Helix Shandilon, I presume,” Din said, raising an eyebrow.

“Got it in one,” Shandilon said with a grin. “You’re sharp.”

Din stepped closer. The boy was only a few inches shorter than he was, but Din was much bulkier and although the smirk stayed on Shandilon’s face, he did take a half-step back, much to Din’s satisfaction. “Is this how you address all your instructors, Cadet?” He spoke evenly but with a hint of a growl.

“No,” Shandilon said. “Just the ones I don’t like.”

Din barked out a laugh. “How do you know you don’t like me? You just met me.” He circled the boy, who was beginning to sweat just a little. _Good_ , thought Din. _Be afraid_.

“You’re a civilian,” the cadet said with a shrug. “Most of them don’t know what they’re doing. I don’t see why Braxden hires non-military personnel to teach us if we’re supposed to be learning how to be officers.”

“I can assure you that I know what I’m doing,” Din said, coming to a stop in front of the boy. “I learned how to fight from the Mando’ade who took me in as a foundling. I fought the Empire, I chased bounties from one side of the galaxy to another. I even took down a Moff using only a borrowed lightsaber.” He stepped closer, looking the boy in the eye. “I was the Mand’alor, the supreme leader of the Mando’ade.”

Shandilon swallowed, but then lifted his chin. “And yet here you are, teaching combat skills to a bunch of kids on Thantos Prime. Guess you weren’t a very good Mand’alor, then, huh?”

The other cadets shifted nervously. Din simply laughed. “You’re right, I wasn’t. It wasn’t what I wanted to be. So I gave up the Darksaber to someone who was better suited to the job.”

Shandilon’s eyes narrowed a bit as he absorbed this information. “And they kicked you out? ‘Cause I don’t see a helmet or beskar or anything.”

“I renounced the Creed,” Din said quietly. “Of my own volition. I gave up that life to make a better one for my family.” He held up his left hand. “And I do still wear beskar, just not as much as I used to.”

He stepped back so that he could address the entire class. “I adopted a foundling of my own, and I found my _riddur_. My son and my wife are more important to me than anything else. I know how to fight, and I’ll teach you everything I know, so that you can protect yourselves, your planet, and your own families. I’m not that kind of warrior anymore, but believe me, I will do anything to protect them.” He looked pointedly at Shandilon. “Whether you like me or not, I am your instructor, and I expect to be treated with respect. Which means you will address me as ‘Mr. Djarin’ or ‘Sir,’ is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” the class chorused. Shandilon hesitated just a moment, so that his “sir” rang out clearly, just a tinge of mockery in his tone.

“Now,” said Din, “I’ll take roll and then we’ll start getting to know each other. I want to meet with each of you individually to see where you stand, what you already know and what you want to learn before you leave.”

He turned his back on Shandilon and consulted his data pad. 

**************************************

“How’d it go?” Mariana asked as soon as he walked in the door.

“Not bad,” Din admitted. “You were right about Shandilon. He’s got an attitude the size of the Death Star, but hopefully I put him in his place. It’ll take me a few days to get a handle on all of the third and fourth year cadets, but I got a good start. And Fennic is amazing. He runs the lower level classes so well I hardly have to do anything.”

Ad’ika toddled in with Froggy in his hand. “Da!,” he cried. Din swooped him up into his arms, which made the child laugh. 

“I missed you, _ad_ ,” Din said. 

Mariana cleared her throat pointedly. “And I missed you, too, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said with a wink. “And you,” he said, stroking her belly with his free hand. “I missed you all.”

“Well, we didn’t miss you much,” Mariana said playfully. “We played blocks, and watched frog vids, and cleaned the ‘fresher, and walked to the market to get some cakes for dessert, and Ad’ika helped me prep the veggies for dinner by floating them from the basket into my hand.”

“Did you do that?” He asked the child. Ad’ika nodded and gestured with his tiny, three-fingered hand. Din smiled over his head at Mariana, who smiled back. He had told his students the truth: nothing was as important to him as this right here: his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helix Shandilon is a little shit! And yes, those were his parents in the front row at the assembly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mariana is bored, Shandilon is a jerk, and Din gets sexually harassed at work.

Mariana was bored. She had plenty to do, watching over Ad’ika, who was getting more adventurous and wanted to explore every inch of the apartment … and wanted to go visit his new friends and wanted to go to the park. For a creature with a limited vocabulary, he was very good at getting his point across.

She loved him dearly, of course she did. He was her son, and the light of Din’s life (she simultaneously felt joy and jealousy when he greeted the child first every time he came home from work; it was silly, but there it was). Still, now that they were settled in and had a routine, she found the routine … boring.

She read books on her data pad when she could get it away from Ad’ika (he loved his frog vids). She experimented in the kitchen, trying to remember some of her mother’s recipes (sometimes she failed miserably and had to comm Din to stop and pick up something for dinner). She cleaned the apartment and gave Ad’ika baths and tended the potted plants she’d bought for the patio and counted the number of tiles in the ceiling.

“What’s wrong?” Din asked one evening after they’d put Ad’ika to bed and were relaxing on the couch.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she lied, snuggling closer to him. This was her favorite part of the day, when it was just the two of them. _Well, three of us_ , she thought as the baby kicked her and she rubbed her stomach to soothe him (her?). Din’s hand followed hers and she melted at the goofy grin that spread over his face as he felt the baby moving beneath her skin. _He was born to be a father_. She raised her free hand to his face and turned him toward her so she could kiss his lips. “I’m perfectly happy,” she murmured.

Din kissed her back and then said, “No, you’re not. Well, you might be perfectly happy at this exact moment.” He kissed her again. “But over all, you’re not. So tell me, what’s wrong?”

She sighed. “I’m bored.” There, she’d said it.

“I’m sorry, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said. “I know it must be hard for you. Your mind needs more stimulation than being a housewife can offer.” He stroked her hair and she nestled her head on his shoulder.

“Maybe we can get another data pad,” she suggested. “Ad’ika commandeers mine all the time to watch frog vids. If we had a second one …”

Din nodded. “You could read or do research.” He sat up. “Start researching schools, find out how much tuition is. We’ve still got a good chunk of credits left from the sale of the _Crest_.”

She sat up as well. “Are you sure? I mean, if I go back to school, we’d have to leave Thantos Prime …”

Din waved his hand in the air. “Don’t worry about that. I got one job, I can get another one. And you wouldn’t be able to start school for a while anyway, what with the baby coming … I’ll at least be able to finish out this term at the Academy, if not get in another year.”

She grabbed his hand. “I don’t want you to give up something you’re good at, something you enjoy, just for me,” she said. “We have to think about what’s best for all of us, and that’s ensuring a steady income. You and Ad’ika are happy here. I’ll be okay.”

He kissed her hand. “I can’t be happy if you’re not happy,” he said. “We’ll get another data pad this weekend, top of the line. Just start thinking about going back to school, _cyar’ika_.”

“Okay,” she said, snuggling back against him. She did want to finish her studies, eventually find a job of her own in the academic field. “But when it’s the right time for all of us,” she added. 

Din wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. “Not too long,” he said quietly. “You’re not losing this chance. I won’t let you.”

She knew better than anyone that life doesn’t always work out as planned, but now was not the time to remind him of that. For now, she let him dream.

****************************  
Shandilon actually showed up early for class. Din wondered why. The boy always strolled into class just a moment after the final bell, close enough to argue that he was in the room when the bell rang, Din just hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t worth the time or the trouble, so Din let it go. But today, Shandilon was the fourth student to arrive, and there was a dangerous gleam in his eye as he leaned nonchalantly against the wall.

The final bell rang and Din pulled out his data pad to take roll. Klaarmat X’intari was missing, but there had been a virus going around campus and several students had missed a day or two over the last week, so he thought nothing of it. As he was finishing up roll call, X’intari skittered into the room, his uniform rumpled and dirty.

“Sorry, sir, so sorry,” the Bendaski said hurriedly. Din shot a glance at Shandilon, who was smirking and elbowing the cadet next to him. 

“I’ll excuse it this time,” Din said. “But we’ll discuss this after class.”

X’intari nodded nervously. Din let him hang back during the class, much to Shandilon’s disappointment. Clearly he had something to do with X’intari’s tardiness and Din didn’t want to reward him for it.

When he dismissed the class, Shandilon lingered until Din had to literally shoo him away. Once they were alone, he turned to X’intari.

“Sit down, Cadet,” he said quietly.

The boy perched nervously on the edge of a chair. “I’m so, so sorry, Mr. Djarin, sir ….”

Din held up his hand. “You’re not in trouble, Klaarmat.” He sat down beside him. “I just wanted to ask you what happened. Because clearly your lateness was not your fault.”

X’intari looked down at the floor. “It won’t happen again, sir,” he mumbled.

“What happened?” Din asked again, carefully. “You can tell me.”

The boy sighed. “Helix locked me in a broom closet,” he said. “I had to climb through the transom to get out. I kept calling for help, but no one would open the door.” He looked up, his orange eyes filled with tears. “They hate me,” he whispered.

“No one hates you,” Din said. X’intari shook his head.

“Yes, they do, sir. I mean, look at me! I’m … green.” The self-loathing was thick in the boy’s voice and it broke Din’s heart.

“I like green,” Din said, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out the mini holo-player he’d bought when he got Mariana her new data pad. “My son is green.” He pressed a button on the player and an image of Ad’ika sprang to life.

X’intari leaned forward, his mouth agape, showing his double row of teeth. “But you’re human,” he said. “Your wife is human. I saw her at the assembly when the Colonel introduced you.”

Din handed him the player and put one hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I told you I adopted a foundling. I never said what species he was.” He met the boy’s orange eyes. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. He’s still my son.”

X’intari swallowed, staring back down at the image of Ad’ika that shimmered in his hand. “I … thank you, sir, for sharing this with me. It means a lot.”

Din squeezed the boy’s shoulder. “I know it’s hard for you, being the only non-human in the class. I know there are people in this city who look down on you for that. But remember, not everyone feels that way. If you need to talk, if you need anything … I’m here for you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Djarin,” he said quietly, handing back the player. “I should probably be going. Got a lot of homework.”

Din smiled. “Okay. And by the way, I’ve been thinking of starting a tutorial group, for some of my advanced students who aren’t quite up to speed yet. Just a handful of you, maybe three or four.” He saw the shame on X’intari’s face and quickly went on. “I know you are more than capable, Klaarmat, all of you. You just need a little extra time to practice, in a less stressful atmosphere.”

“That’s kind of you to say, sir, but some of us are just … not good at this.”

“Trust me,” Din said. “If I could teach my wife to shoot straight, I can teach anyone.” He laughed. “You should have seen her, the first time she picked up a blaster!”

“I’ll … I’ll think about it,” X’intari said. Before he left he turned back, “Was she really that bad?”

“Worse,” Din admitted. “To be honest, I’d rather have some of my first year students next to me in a firefight than her.”

The boy laughed. “Wow. That bad, huh?”

“But don’t tell her I said that. She may not be the best with a blaster but she has other ways of making me pay for my mistakes,” Din said with a grin.

X’inatari goggled at him for a moment, then laughed again. “You got it, Mr. Djarin. My lips are sealed. See you tomorrow, sir.”

Din tucked the holo player back into his jacket pocket and straightened up the room. _I think I handled that pretty well_. 

“Nicely done,” he heard from the hall. He turned to see Sergeant Honnal leaning against the doorframe. “That kid’s usually too scared to say two words to an adult around here.”

“Spying on me, Sergeant?” Din asked. She was often lurking about at the end of the school day, just happening to be passing by his classroom even though she taught in a different building.

“No,” she said. “Just happened to be passing by.” She smirked. “I like to check up on new instructors, see if they need any help getting up to speed.”

“I’m doing okay.” Din picked up his data pad and started toward the door. Honnal stretched out her arms and blocked his way.

“Are you sure?” She asked. “I heard you offer the Bendaski extra help. I’d be glad to do the same for you.” 

“I said I’m fine. Now please, let me pass. I need to get home. To my wife.”

Honnal shrugged. “Have it your way, Djarin. But we both know you might be married, but you’re not dead.” She trailed her hand down his arm as he passed by her and he flinched away. She laughed. “See, if you were dead, you wouldn’t have reacted at all.”

He turned to face her. “Back off, Honnal. I’ve made it quite clear I’m not interested.”

“But I don’t think you have,” she countered. 

“Then you’re nowhere near as smart as I thought you were,” Din said. “Let me spell it out for you. I. Am. Not. Interested.” She started to raise her hand to touch his shoulder but he batted it away. “Now I’m going to go home. To my wife. My _pregnant_ wife. And she’s going to ask me how my day went, and I’m going to tell her everything, like I always do. And when she finds out you couldn’t take a hint if it hit you over the head with a bantha tusk, she’s not going to be happy. And believe me, you do not want to be on the wrong side of her.”

Honnal took a half step back, but still managed a grin. “I think I can handle her,” she said.

Din laughed. “It’s your funeral, Sergeant.”

He left her standing there with a slightly worried look on her face. He wondered if he could sell tickets to the confrontation he knew would be coming.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mariana has a conversation with Sergeant Honnal.

Din’s private tutorial class was starting that afternoon and Mariana was pretty sure Sergeant Honnal would show up to “help” him. So she dropped Ad’ika off at the Mondella’s house, much to the delight of the little girls, and headed over to the Academy. She’d thought about wearing her new dress, but it was already getting a bit tight, so she’d settled for her most comfortable pair of pants and one of Din’s extra shirts under her quilted blue jacket. Not exactly the cutest outfit, but she thought she looked rather dangerous, which was more to the point.

She waved to the receptionist as she entered the administration building and headed out the back door toward the athletic building where Din’s classroom was located. As she approached, she saw a tall, red-haired figure open the door. _I knew it_ , she thought triumphantly. _This is going to be fun_.

The door to Din’s room was open and she could hear him talking to the cadets. Honnal stood just inside the door. “Need any help, Djarin?,” she offered.

“I think he’s got it, Sergeant,” Mariana said, stopping at the taller woman’s elbow. Honnal turned to look at her. 

“Oh, hello there,” she said, looking Mariana up and down with a smirk. “Nice outfit.”

Din and the students stopped talking. The kids were wide eyed, but Din had a confident smile on his face.

“Thanks,” Mariana said. “You and I need to have a talk.” She gestured for Honnal to precede her into the hallway.

Honnal laughed. “Are you serious?”

“Very,” Mariana said, staring down the Sergeant, who flicked her eyes toward Din, who simply shrugged. Mariana kept her hand out, indicating that she was waiting for Honnal to move.

“Okay, I’ll play along,” Honnal said. She stepped into the hall, and Mariana followed her, shutting the classroom door behind them. The Sergeant leaned against the wall. “What?”

“You need to learn how to listen, Sergeant,” Mariana began. “Din told you he wasn’t interested and you wouldn’t take no for an answer. So now you’re going to listen to me.” She stepped closer, getting in the other woman’s face. “Back off. Din works with you, so he has to be polite, but I don’t.” She jabbed her finger into Honnal’s chest. “Stop flirting with my husband, stop _looking_ at my husband, or you’ll be sorry.”

Honnal snorted. “Really? You’re trying to intimidate me?”

“Hell, yes,” Mariana said. “Those kids aren’t the only ones who’ve benefited from Din’s tutelage. I may not be a Mandalorian, but I can fight.” 

Honnal tried to look away, but Mariana grabbed her chin and held her face steady. “That man is my _riddur_. The father of my children. You know what the most dangerous animal in the galaxy is? A mother. Because she’ll do anything to protect her young. And I want their father to be happy, not constantly trying to fend off your clumsy overtures.” She grunted a little as the baby kicked her fiercely, clearly as riled up as she was. Honnal’s eyes flicked down before coming back up to meet hers. “So back off, Sergeant Honnal, before I have to make you.”

Honnal nodded her head rather gracefully. “I yield, Mrs. Djarin,” she said. She held her hands up in surrender. “Clearly, your husband wasn’t lying when he said you were a force to be reckoned with. I’ve seen my share of battles as a young officer, and I know when I’m overmatched.” She sighed. “It’s a shame, though. He’s just so damn … _skilled_.”

Mariana stepped back and crossed her arms across her chest. “That holovid,” she said. Honnal nodded. Mariana shook her head and sighed. “I suppose there’s not much I can do about that, but remember … that’s _all_ you get.” 

Honnal nodded again. “Fair enough. But can I ask you one thing?” Mariana raised an eyebrow. “Is he that good at everything?”

Mariana laughed. “Better,” she said firmly. Honnal’s eyes widened and she actually blushed. “Go on, Sergeant, find something else to do. I’m going to see if my husband needs any help.” She turned her back on the woman and entered the classroom.

Din and the cadets looked up expectantly, and she waved at them before settling down on a chair in the corner. The kids kept shooting curious looks at her, but Din simply winked at her and smiled.

****************************  
As soon as Mariana shut the door, Din drew the cadets’ attention back to him. “Okay, let’s get started.”

“But …” X’intari said with a glance at the door.

“None of our business,” Din said. He looked at the four cadets standing forlornly before him. X’intari was the most relaxed, which wasn’t saying much. Laren stared down at the floor, Florenz was fidgeting even more than usual, and Bendar was chewing on her fingernails. “Now, I asked you all to join me for some extra practice time not because I think you aren’t capable, but because I _do_ think you’re capable. You just need a bit more time to come into your own and some one on one instruction, which I can’t provide during our regular class time.”

He walked down the line of cadets. “Look at me,” he ordered. Once they were all looking up at him, he went on. “This is not a punishment. This is me showing how much I believe in you. If I thought you were hopeless, I wouldn’t be offering to spend my own time helping you. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” they said. 

Just then the door opened and Mariana walked in, waving happily before she took a seat in a chair in the corner. _Looks like that went well_ , Din thought with a smile. He winked at her and turned back to his students.

“First, let’s talk about marksmanship. Laren, you don’t have any issues with this, so I’m going to ask you to assist me.”

The girl had been staring at Mariana, but whipped her head around. “What? You want me to assist you?”

“Yes, you’re a good shot,” Din said. “Way better than her,” he nodded in Mariana’s direction. X’intari chuckled. _Good_ , Din thought. _You need to loosen up, kid_.

“I heard that,” Mariana called out. 

“It’s true, _cyar’ika_ ,” Din said. He lowered his voice, turning back to the cadets. “Worst shot I ever saw in my life.”

“I’m better now,” Mariana insisted. “I had a good teacher.” 

Florenz and Bendar exchanged a look that could have been amusement or possibly mortification. Din tried his best not to smile too broadly. He was glad Mariana had shown up. This kind of banter was just what the cadets needed to relax them; and maybe they’d start seeing him less as a commanding officer and more as a person. 

He asked them to fetch their blasters from the weapons locker, and then had Laren demonstrate the proper shooting stance. The safeties were on, and these practice weapons could not be set higher than stun, so they could work indoors away from prying eyes.

As he worked with the cadets, Din stole a few glances at Mariana. She was slightly slumped in her chair, legs crossed at the ankle, hands clasped on top of her belly, watching intently. He was dying to find out what she’d said to Honnal but that could wait. For now he just enjoyed the sight of her.

“Okay, that’s enough for today,” he said after an hour. “Next time we’ll work on hand to hand. Florenz, you’re going to be my assistant for that, okay?”

“Um, okay, sir,” the boy said, surprised. He was the worst shot of the bunch, so Din wanted to boost his self esteem a bit.

“You all did very well today. I’m proud of you,” Din said. Laren blushed. The girl clearly had a crush on him. _I’ll get Mariana to talk to her_ , he thought. “Dismissed.”

As the cadets put their blasters away, Din walked over to Mariana. “How’d I do?”

“Very nice,” she said, standing up. 

“And how’d _you_ do?” He raised his eyebrows and she laughed.

“Mission accomplished,” she said. “If you have any more trouble from her, I’d be very surprised.”

Din slid his arms around her and kissed her cheek. “That’s all you get in front of the kids, but I’ll be sure to show you my appreciation more thoroughly once we get home,” he murmured in her ear. 

He stepped back and said, loud enough for the cadets to hear, “I hope that’s not my last clean shirt.”

She laughed. “It’s not. I did laundry this morning. You’ll have a clean shirt for tomorrow, _cyar’ika_.”

X’intari approached hesitantly. “Um, sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to say thank you, Mr. Djarin, for doing this. And thank you, Mrs. Djarin, for letting him give up some of his personal time for us. I know you probably don’t get to see him as much as you’d like and ….” He trailed off in embarrassment, his cheeks flushing a darker shade of green.

Mariana wrapped her arms around the Bendaski. “You’re more than welcome, Klaarmat.” When the boy pulled back and looked at her, eyes wide, she went on, “Oh, I know who you are. I know who you all are. My husband talks about you all the time.” 

“Because we’re the losers,” Florenz said grimly.

“Because he cares about you,” Mariana said. “Because he sees your potential and wants you to fulfill it. And so do I.” She looked at them all. “If any of you need anything … even just to talk … I’m here.”

Din’s heart swelled with love, for Mariana and for these misfit kids. 

“But not shooting tips, right, Mrs. Djarin?” X’intari said, a glint in his bright orange eyes.

“Definitely not,” she said. “That’s his department.” She poked Din in the ribs with her thumb. They all laughed at that, and as they left the room, there was a sense of camaraderie that hadn’t been there before. 

Once the cadets had wandered off, Din wrapped his arm around Mariana’s shoulders. “Thank you, _cyar’ika_.”

“You’re more than welcome,” she replied, bumping her hip against his. “Let’s go get Ad’ika and pick up something for dinner. I’m starved!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ad’ika is being a brat, Din gets some bad news, and Mariana gets some good news.

“Seriously?” Mariana asked Ad’ika as she tried to coax him down from the top of the wardrobe. He giggled and waved his pudgy little hand at her. Just a week or two ago, she’d been able to hop up on a chair to reach him when he managed to get up there, but now her belly was too big and he knew it. He plopped down on his bottom and pulled out a bag of sweets she swore she’d locked in the kitchen cupboard.

“How? How did you get hold of that?” She shook her head. He’d been getting worse with each passing day, finding new ways to cause mischief. Din thought it was funny, of course, but he wasn’t here every day dealing with a Force-sensitive toddler.

“Fine. Just don’t fall off and hurt yourself,” she said, flopping down on the bed. Her back hurt and her feet were swollen after spending the morning sweeping up all the dirt Ad’ika had tracked in after “helping” her repot the plants on the patio. It didn’t help that the baby was being rambunctious today, kicking her every other minute and turning somersaults or cartwheels or whatever he or she was doing in there.

She slid off her shoes and let herself almost doze off. Ad’ika got bored and clambered down to join her. He never really fell off anything, using his Force ability to gently lower himself to the ground, but she still worried. She felt his tiny body alight on the bed and toddle over to her. He sat down against her hip and started patting her belly. “ _Vod_ ,” he said softly. “ _Vod, Vod, Vod, Vod_.”

“Yes, that’s your sibling in there,” she said sleepily. “Don’t encourage them.”

“ _Buir_.”

“Yes, _ad_?”

“Da?”

“Daddy’s at work. He’ll be home in a few hours. It’s his late night.”

Ad’ika stood up and walked up to her head, then plopped down next to her ear. He offered her a sweet, which was sticky and rather disgusting after being clutched in his hand for so long, but she accepted it. They were his favorite, some purple-blue fruit flavor that Mariana found rather bitter underneath the sugar, but then again, he liked to eat frogs so there was no accounting for taste.

“Let’s take a nap, okay?”

In response, he started messing around with her hair and poking his fingers into her eyes. “Stop it,” she said, pushing him gently away. “You’re all gross.”

He laughed and jumped onto her chest, forcing all the air out of her lungs. “Oof!” She scooped him off and sat him on the bed beside her. “Why are you being such a stinker today?”

His eyes slid toward her belly and then back to her face. “Oh, have I been ignoring you?” She _had_ been paying more attention to the child in her belly lately than to him, come to think of it. She rolled onto her side as best she could and cuddled him close. “I’m sorry, _ad_ , but your _vod_ is kind of hard to ignore these days.” She sighed. It was only going to be worse once the baby was born, of course, but she’d cross that bridge when they reached it. For now, she could give Ad’ika a little more attention.

“Nap time?,” she asked hopefully. Ad’ika snuggled down in her arms and nodded. _Thank the stars_ , she thought, stroking his fuzzy ears and letting herself drift off.

********************  
“Got a minute, Din?” Garrick called from the doorway of his office as Din was walking through the admin building on his way home.

“Sure.” He often stopped to chat with the lieutenant on his way out, though never on the days when he held his after school tutorials. Something must be up.

Garrick shut the door once Din was inside the office, which raised even more suspicions. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing yet,” Garrick said. “But I wanted to give you a heads up just in case.” He sat down behind his desk and folded his hands. “The Republic is stepping up action in the Danda sector and we think they might be asking us to send some troops in the near future.” He sighed. “Which means we might have to call up the reserves … and even pull some cadets for routine duties.”

“I see,” Din said. There were enough third and fourth year officer cadets to form a squadron, according to the protocols of the Thantosian military. And they were all Din’s students.

“If — and it’s still a big _if_ — this happens, the Colonel is probably going to ask you to go with them,” Garrick went on. “He can’t order you, since you’re a civilian, but he’ll ask. And I wanted to give you time to think about it before he puts you on the spot.”

“I appreciate that,” Din replied. 

“If they call me up, I have to go,” Garrick said. “But you have a choice. I want you to make the right one, for you and Mariana and the kids.”

“You think I should tell the Colonel no,” Din said, softly.

Garrick nodded. “I can’t tell you what to do, but if it was me …” He shrugged. “The Colonel can be persuasive, and I know you feel an obligation toward your students. Just weigh all the options before you decide, okay?”

Din nodded. “I will.” He already knew what his answer would be, but it warmed his heart to know that his friend would take the time to worry about _him_ when he was facing the possibility of leaving behind his own family. He clasped Garrick’s hand. “Thank you, my friend.”

“Any time.”

******************************  
Mariana was ready to jump out of her skin. Din was only a few minutes late, but she was so excited to share the news with him. She swept Ad’ika up in her arms and danced him around the living room. “Oh, Daddy’s going to be so surprised!”

When Din opened the door, however, she could see from the expression on his face that maybe this wasn’t the best time. “What’s wrong?,” she said, setting Ad’ika down and rushing to Din’s side.

“Nothing,” he said, forcing a smile and kissing her on the cheek.

“Don’t lie to me, Din Djarin,” she demanded. “Something’s going on.” Her own news was forgotten as she steered him toward the couch and sat him down. Ad’ika clambered up beside them and gave his father a stern look.

“It may be nothing,” Din admitted. “Or it might be something.” He told her what Garrick had told him on the way out that evening, about the possibility of pulling up reserves and even cadets if the Thantosian military had to send troops to aid the Republic in its efforts to clear the last Imperial remnants from the Danda sector.

“What will you tell the Colonel?,” she asked. “If he asks you?” She knew what his answer would be and her heart sank. Din had been raised by Mandalorians and she knew his sense of honor and duty ran deep. He’d go with his students.

“I’ll tell him no,” Din said.

“What?” Mariana was shocked. 

“You think I should go?” Din replied, looking as shocked as she felt.

“Well, no, I don’t, but I thought you would …” she babbled. “These are your students. You have a duty to look after them.”

Din raised his hand and pressed a finger against her lips to quiet her. He shook his head slowly. “The only duty I have is to you, _cyar’ika_ , and to our _aliit_. I promised myself that after Gideon, I would never put you through that again. I will not leave you.” He leaned forward to press his forehead against hers.

“Are you sure?,” she whispered.

“This is the Way,” he replied. And that was that.

They sat quietly for a long moment before he sat back. “And anyway, it’s all just speculation right now. It might not even happen,” he said. “So, why were you and Ad’ika dancing when I came in?”

“Oh! We were just celebrating, that’s all.”

“Celebrating what?”

Mariana couldn’t stop the smile from creeping onto her face. “I got accepted into the distance learning program at Chandrilla University,” she said.

Din’s face lit up. “What? Oh, Mar’ika, I’m so happy for you!” He crushed her in a fierce hug that only ended when the baby kicked so hard they both felt it. He pulled back, tears in his eyes. “This is wonderful.” He turned to Ad’ika and swept the child into the embrace. “This is amazing! Your mama’s going back to school, kiddo!”

Ad’ika nodded and laughed. “ _Vercopa_ ,” he said.

“Yes, _ad_ ,” Din said. “It is a dream come true.”

Mariana shoved all thought of the cadets going off to war out of her mind. She was going to enjoy this dream while it lasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:
> 
> vod = brother, sister  
> buir = mother, father  
> ad = son, daughter  
> cyar’ika = sweetheart   
> aliit = family, clan  
> vercopa = wish, dream


	10. Chapter 10

“It’s a done deal,” Shandilon said smugly. “They’re going to call us up. My dad heard it from Senator Kilgore himself. The Parliament okayed it yesterday.”

Din let the cadets talk. With all the rumors swirling around campus recently, he’d found that letting the students gossip a bit before class started helped keep them focused once instruction actually began. He lost a few minutes of time each day, but better to have 45 minutes of kids paying attention than 60 minutes of them only half heeding his words.

“What will we be doing?” Limante asked. He was one of Shandilon’s buddies, always ready to back the other boy up. 

Shandilon shrugged. “Probably something boring, to tell the truth. The plan is to use the military reserves to replace the troops that are being sent to the Danda sector, so we’ll just take over some dumb job like guarding an embassy building. The pilot cadets might get to escort a merchant ship through the inner trade routes, but that’s about as exciting as it’s going to get for us. Still, it’ll be better than sitting in a classroom being told what to do all day, right?”

Din called the class to order at that point and ran them through some hand to hand drills. X’intari was getting better, but he still held back too much, even though his physiology made him inherently stronger than the human cadets. Din looked forward to the day when the Bendaski was confident enough to just be himself. And on that day, Din was going to match him with Shandilon and enjoy watching X’intari wipe the floor with that little jerk’s ass.

The final bell rang and Din dismissed class. As he was gathering his things, a cadet popped in the door. “Mr. Djarin, sir, the Colonel would like to see you ASAP.”

“Thank you, Cadet,” Din said. He’d been expecting this. “I’ll be right there.”

Din walked to the admin building. There was already an air of urgency on campus; everyone seemed to be a bit more focused, a bit more hurried, a bit more on edge. He recognized the atmosphere of preparation before a battle. It felt familiar but at the same time, strangely foreign. _This isn’t my life anymore_ , he reminded himself. 

The Colonel greeted him solemnly and asked Din to take a seat.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors, Mr. Djarin,” Braxden began. “The Republic has asked for our help in the Danda sector, and we have responded. To replace the troops that are joining the Republic forces, we are deploying our military reserves. This means I’m losing several key members of my staff, including Lieutenant Mondella.” He paused. “High Command has also asked that we pull out third and fourth year cadets and deploy them. Captain Woreg will be forming a squadron of flight cadets to assist in routine escort duties within our local system. And we will be deploying a squadron of ground officer cadets for guard duty somewhere in the local system, as well.”

“My students,” Din said.

“Yes, your students.” Braxden leaned forward. “I’d like you to lead them, Djarin. They know you and respect you. You’re a civilian, so this isn’t an order, you have every right to refuse, but I hope you’ll volunteer for duty.” He looked Din in the eye. “I’d feel much better sending them out with you in charge.”

Din held the Colonel’s eye contact as he said, “I’m afraid I must respectfully decline, sir.”

Braxden blinked. “Are you certain?” He wasn’t angry, but looked disappointed.

Din nodded. “As you said, I’m not a member of your military, and I have other obligations that require me to stay here.”

Braxden sighed. “Your wife’s due in a few months, isn’t she? Look, Djarin, we expect this to last a few weeks, a month at most. You’ll be back long before the baby comes. These kids need you.”

Din shook his head. “My family needs me. I made a promise not to leave them again. I had to do it once and I won’t put them through that again; won’t put _myself_ through that again.” He sat up straight. “You can fire me if you like, but I won’t go.”

Braxden sat back in his chair. “I’m not going to fire you,” he said. “You are well within your rights to refuse. This means I’ll have to send Corporal Fennic with the squadron. He’ll start assisting you with the third and fourth year classes as of tomorrow, so he can get a feel for them before they’re deployed. It might be a few days, maybe even a week, before we know where they’ll be going and what they’ll be doing.”

“I’ll get him up to speed, Colonel,” Din promised. Fennic was a good officer and a natural instructor. It shouldn’t take him long to grasp the capabilities of the cadets he’d be commanding.

“I do wish you’d reconsider, Djarin,” the Colonel said wearily. “These kids … they’re still just kids, as much as they want to think they’re ready to take on the galaxy. I just want them safe.”

“So do I, sir,” Din said. “But I can’t … I’ll do everything I can to prepare them for what lies ahead, but that part of my life is over.”

He took his leave of the Colonel and made his way to Garrick’s office, where his friend was hunched over a data pad.

“Just talked to the Colonel,” Din said.

Garrick looked up. “What did you tell him?” He already looked haggard and Din felt a pang of empathy for the man. He wasn’t going to be babysitting a bunch of green cadets on a job within the local system. The reserves could be called anywhere the Thantosian military was currently operating; maybe suppressing the pirates harassing the Clovan system, or patrolling the Survanti asteroid belt for smugglers. Or even joining the regular forces in the Danda sector.

“I told him no,” Din said. 

Garrick looked relieved. “Good,” he said, closing his eyes for just a moment. “I was hoping … you’ll look after Tress and the girls for me while I’m gone, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Din replied. “Anything they need, we’re just a comm away.”

Garrick buried his face in his hands. “I thought going into the reserves was the right move,” he said thickly. “Best of both worlds. Keep my military rank, keep earning points toward a cushy pension someday, but still be here for my family. But now … maybe I should have just resigned when my time was up.” He looked up at Din, his eyes bright with unshed tears. 

“You can’t second guess yourself, Garrick,” Din said. “Just move forward with what you have.”

Garrick smiled crookedly. “I know, I just … I feel bad for Tress and the girls. They didn’t choose this; I did.”

“Tress did choose this,” Din said. “She knew who you were and what you did when she married you. She chose to make a life with you, have a family with you.” He knew that the couple had met while Garrick was still on active duty. Tress had married a soldier.

“Thanks, buddy,” Garrick said. “I knew you’d understand.” He shook his head and gave a weak laugh. “Now, I’m going to go home and tell my family how much I love them. You should do the same.”

“I will,” said Din. As they stood, he pulled Garrick into a firm embrace. “ _K'oyacyi_ , my friend.” 

“What does that mean?” Garrick asked. 

“Hang in there,” Din replied. _Stay alive_ was the more literal translation, but he wasn’t about to tell Garrick that.

******************************  
Mariana could tell that something had happened the moment Din walked in the door. “They’re going?,” she asked.

“They’re going,” he replied. “Fennic will be going with the cadets in my place. And Garrick’s reserve squad has been called up as well.” He picked up Ad’ika, who as usual was tugging at his pant leg before he’d gotten two steps inside.

“Oh, poor Tress,” Mariana said. She’d had lunch with the other woman just yesterday and while Tress had tried to be upbeat, it was clear that she was worried. “And I was just asking her if she can watch Ad’ika while I meet with the midwife.” Tress’ cousin’s neighbor’s aunt was a very reputable midwife and had agreed to take Mariana on as a patient, which meant weekly appointments at the woman’s office. “Maybe I should just stick with the doctor at the clinic …”

“No, I think it would be a good distraction for her,” Din said, sitting on the couch. Mariana settled beside him. “And for the girls. A weekly play date would cheer them up immensely. Besides, the clinic relies too much on med droids … I’ll feel better if Valinda Knorros delivers the baby.”

_Still with the droid thing_ , Mariana thought with a smile. Of course, she felt a lot better knowing she’d be in the hands of a woman who had three children of her own, as well as the experience of having delivered dozens more over the years, rather than a med droid. Droids were very capable (she still thought fondly of RN-42, who had informed her of her pregnancy back on Florian), but she doubted one would be very sympathetic to the pain of childbirth.

“How are your classes going?” Din asked.

“Well,” she replied. “I’m almost done with my paper for the Rhetoric class and we’ll get our scores on the Theoretical Physics of Hyperspace exam tomorrow. I just have to finish the reading for the Art History discussion, but that’s not due for a couple of days yet.” The hyperspace class was kicking her butt, as she had never been as strong in mathematics as she was in other areas, but she was very much enjoying the other two classes. Surprisingly, Ad’ika was very good about knowing when she needed to concentrate, and so far she’d been able to keep up with the workload.

“Think we can manage dinner at the Mondella’s one night this week?,” he asked. 

Mariana thought over her upcoming deadlines. “Tomorrow would work,” she said. “Should I comm Tress or do you want to talk to Garrick in the morning?”

“Comm her,” Din said. “I have the feeling Garrick and I won’t have much time to chat before he’s deployed.” Mariana squeezed his hand. _How many comrades has he said goodbye to and never seen again_?, she wondered. 

“I’ll call her right after dinner,” she said. “Speaking of which, why don’t you two get washed up while I set the table?”

When he and Ad’ika were behind the closed door of the ‘fresher, she allowed herself a moment to lose composure. Her heart was breaking at the thought of Garrick having to leave, at the thought of Tress and the girls being left behind, wondering every day if he was coming home. She’d been through that when Din had gone off after Moff Gideon, and they’d only been together a few months at that time. She couldn’t begin to imagine how hard it would be after being with someone for years. 

She also felt selfish for being so thankful that Din wasn’t going. _Why am I the lucky one? Why should Tress have to go through this and I don’t_? The ‘fresher door opened and she wiped the tears off her face, bustling into the kitchen to get the plates. Din was probably feeling guilty enough about his decision without her blubbering all over the place making him feel worse. She smiled brightly at him as he and Ad’ika took their places at the table, but she could tell from the gentle smile on his face and the tired look in his eyes that she wasn’t fooling him one bit.

*************************  
“What?” X’intari blurted out when Din told the class he would not be accompanying them when they were deployed. “Oh, sorry, sir, sorry, I just … I kind of assumed you’d be going with us.” The boy blushed dark green and several of the other cadets snickered.

“I can see why you might assume that, Cadet,” Din said evenly, shooting a look at the ones who were laughing. “But as you recall, I’m a civilian, and therefore Corporal Fennic will be your commanding officer.” He gestured at the young officer, who stood calmly in the corner, observing. “He’ll be assisting with your classes from here on out so he gets a chance to see you all in action, so to speak.”

Shandilon raised his hand. Din suppressed a groan and nodded at him. “Mr. Djarin, sir,” the boy said, looking pointedly at X’intari, who was still mortified at his outburst. “I can understand why you aren’t going, being just a civilian, after all … but why are we being placed under the command of a corporal? I’d have thought we’d have a proper officer in charge.”

“Fennic _is_ a proper officer,” Din replied. “He’s my assistant instructor in the first and second year classes, and he earned his rank by coming up through the ranks. Just because he didn’t graduate from the Academy doesn’t mean he’s not a good officer.”

“But he’s a non-com,” Shandilon protested. Cadets who graduated from the Academy and were accepted into the military started at the commissioned rank of Lieutenant, and tended to look down on the Ensigns and Corporals who had worked their way up from Private. 

“He’s still an officer,” Din said. “Hell, even a Private outranks you right now, _Cadet_.” That didn’t sit well with the boy, but Din was past caring. “Corporal Fennic knows what he's doing, and I trust him implicitly, and he will be in command of your squadron by order of the Colonel. End of discussion.”

“Yes, sir,” Shandilon muttered.

Din approached him and said quietly, “If I hear one word about you disrespecting him, Shandilon, I’ll flunk you, and you’ll never get that diploma.”

The boy’s eyes flared. “You wouldn’t dare. My father would have you fired so fast …”

“Do you think I care?” Din shot back. Shandilon closed his mouth and looked away. Din turned to the other cadets. “Do any of you think I care more about my paycheck than keeping you all safe?” They shook their heads. “That’s right, I don’t. And the best way for you to get through this is to listen to your commanding officer, to trust your commanding officer and to _obey_ your commanding officer. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” the cadets chorused. 

“So if anyone gives Corporal Fennic any trouble, he or she will answer to me. And if that ends my career here at the Adademy, so be it.” He turned to Fennic. “Corporal, the class is yours.”

Fennic nodded and stepped forward. “Thank you, Mr. Djarin. Now …”

Din stepped back and let Fennic take control. He was still seething at Shandilon’s attitude but he forced himself to take a deep breath and relax. _At least I won’t have to put up with the little shit for a while_ , he thought. But he would miss the others terribly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:  
> K'oyacyi = 1. *Cheers!* 2. Can also mean: *Hang in there* or 3. *Come back safely.* Literally, a command; *Stay alive!*


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din gets some very bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rather dark and refers to the deaths of some characters we’ve already met. You have been warned.

Valinda Knorros was in her late forties, short and slightly plump, her long brown hair shot through with a few strands of gray and pulled back in a neat braid. Mariana liked her immediately. Unlike the doctor at the local health clinic, the midwife explained everything before she did it and made sure Mariana didn’t have any questions before she moved on.

“Well, I think that’s all for now,” Valinda said finally, putting her data pad and scanner away. “Everything looks fine. I’d say you’re right on track for a healthy baby and a normal delivery.” She smiled. “Next time we’ll start going over the birthing process so you’ll know what to expect. Have you talked to your husband about whether he wants to be present during the birth?”

“Not really,” Mariana admitted. She was fairly certain he would want to be there, given how protective he was, but she hadn’t thought to ask him.

“Discuss it and let me know next week,” Valinda said. “If he’s going to be there, he’ll have to come to at least some of the appointments so we can go over his role as birthing coach.”

Mariana suppressed a smile at the sudden image of Din in his full Mandalorian armor holding her hand and telling her when to breathe and when to push, like a scene from a cheesy holovid. 

“I will,” she said. “See you next week.”

Valinda walked her to the door and Mariana stepped out into the crisp afternoon air. It was a beautiful day and she thought briefly of walking home, but it was at least six blocks to Tress’ place to pick up Ad’ika and then another three to get home, and she wasn’t sure her feet were up for it. Instead, she hailed a speeder cab and gave the driver the Mondella’s address.

Lina answered the door when Mariana knocked, her face sober. “Hi, Dika’s mom,” the girl said. “Momma’s sad.”

Mariana’s heart sank and she pushed her way past the girl. “Tress?,” she called out. “Are you okay?” _Oh, please, please, don’t let anything have happened to Garrick!_

Tress stepped out of the kitchen, her eyes red and tear streaks running down her face. “Oh, Mariana,” she gasped, reaching out to wrap her arms around her. “It’s horrible.”

“What? What? Is it Garrick?”

“No, no,” Tress said. “It’s … it’s the cadets. Din’s cadets.”

Mariana’s knees gave out and Tress had to help her onto the couch. “Oh, stars, what happened?,” she managed to say once she could breathe again.

“Garrick … he still gets all the comms pertaining to the Academy and he forwarded it to me,” Tress said between sobs. “They were guarding the embassy on Vrentos, routine stuff, but terrorists bombed the site.” She hiccuped. “They haven’t released any names yet but five of them died, more were injured. Fennic — he didn’t make it, Mari, he’s dead.”

Mariana’s blood ran cold. Corporal Fennic had taken Din’s place. “I’ve got to get home,” she said, jumping to her feet. “I need to be there when Din gets home. He’ll be devastated.”

Tress nodded. “Leave Ad’ika here,” she said. “He can stay overnight. The girls will love it and that way you can concentrate on Din. Oh, sweet gods, I can’t even imagine what he’s going through …” She dissolved into tears again.

Mariana sat back down and hugged her friend tightly. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered. “Don’t worry about us, just take care of yourself and the girls. We’ll be okay.”

Tress wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just … I‘ve been so on edge since Garrick left, and those kids … they were supposed to be safe.” She shook her head. “Don’t mind me. Go on, go home, take care of your husband.”

Mariana took a moment to say goodbye to Ad’ika. “You’re going to stay here tonight, ad,” she told him. “I’ll be back to get you in the morning. Be good and listen to Tress, okay?”

He nodded, his ears drooping. “ _Trikar'la_ ,” he said. 

“Yes, sad, Ad’ika,” Mariana said. “We’re all very sad right now. But it’ll be okay. I’ll get you tomorrow. Be good.”

“Da?” He looked so forlorn that Mariana had to take a moment before she replied so that she wouldn’t start sobbing.

“Daddy will be okay,” she said finally. “I’m going to make sure of that. We’ll see you in the morning.”

She left the Mondella’s house and walked as quickly as she could back to the apartment building. If Garrick had already forwarded his comm to Tress, then the Colonel had known for some time, and with no final class to teach, Din’s days were over earlier than usual. He could be home at any time, if he wasn’t already there.

She had a stitch in her side by the time she got to her street, but she refused to slow down. She was huffing and puffing as she unlocked the door to find Din slumped on the couch. He looked up at her, his eyes bleak.

“Tress told me,” she said, shutting the door behind her and hurrying to his side. “Garrick commed her. Oh, Din, I’m so, so sorry!” She wrapped her arms around him, pulling his head down onto her shoulder. He was very still for a long moment, and then she felt him begin to sob. She rubbed his back with one hand and ran her fingers through his hair with the other, two things that always soothed him. “It’s okay,” she crooned. “It’s okay, _cyar’ika_. I’m here. I’m here.”

Eventually he stopped crying and pulled back enough to look at her. “It’s not okay, Mar’ika,” he croaked, his voice raspy with tears. “I should have been there. You were right. I had a duty to them. I failed them.”

“No, no, you didn’t,” she said.

“I did,” he insisted. “They’re _my_ students, not Fennic’s. He shouldn’t have had to go. He shouldn’t have had to die.”

Mariana wiped the tears from his cheeks and held his face steady. “He wanted to go,” she said. “He sent me a message right before they left. He said that even if you’d agreed to go, he was going to offer to take your place.” Din shook his head, but she held him firmly. “He said you didn’t need to risk your life.”

“Even so,” Din said wearily. “The kids … Mar’ika, five of my kids ….” He couldn’t go on and it broke her heart to see him so devastated. “Maybe I could have saved them,” he whispered.

“And maybe you couldn’t,” she replied. “Maybe more would have died, or maybe _you_ would have died.”

He sighed, his head dropping back onto her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, hanging on like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. “I don’t even know who … who it is,” he said. “The Colonel couldn’t release any names until they’ve finished contacting all the next of kin. Fifty kids, _cyar’ika_ , five dead, who knows how many more wounded … that’s a ten percent loss. And this was supposed to be a nice, easy assignment. Perfectly safe.” He shook his head and she couldn’t think of anything to say, so she just kept rubbing his back, occasionally pressing a kiss against his neck or ear.

They sat like that for a long time, until her leg started to go numb from the pressure of sitting in the same position for so long, but she didn’t want to disturb him, so she endured until he finally sat back. “I’m sorry,” he said. 

“Don’t apologize,” she said. “You have every reason to be upset, my love.”

He rubbed his face with both hands. “I know, but still …” His data pad, abandoned on the side table, pinged. They looked at each other, knowing what the message probably was.

“I’ll get it,” Mariana said, picking up the pad and pressing the button to wake up the screen. At the top was a message from the Colonel, blinking bright green to indicate urgency. She took a deep breath and tapped on the message to open it. 

“It’s the casualty list,” she said. 

Din closed his eyes and nodded. “Read it to me,” he said, his voice strained.

“Lormand Anzitor — DECEASED, Nandoo Bendar — DECEASED, Fangor Donden — INJURED, Pando Florenz — INJURED, Hoven Limante — DECEASED, Brix Lovari — INJURED, Vintex Marddanda — INJURED, Prig Pexar— INJURED, Kalen Robbins — DECEASED, Helix Shandilon — DECEASED, Corton Trimble — INJURED, Klaarmat X’intari — INJURED,” she read. With each name, Din’s head drooped further and further toward his chest until by the time she reached the end, he was doubled over completely.

“Bendar,” he sobbed. “She … she was doing so well. And Robbins … he was top of his class. Limante, Anzitor … _Shandilon_. Kriff, I was so happy I wasn’t going to have to deal with him for a while, and now he’s dead.” 

Mariana dropped the data pad and pulled Din’s head into her lap. She was crying herself, now, the tears flowing freely down her face. She hadn’t met most of the students, but she knew Bendar, Florenz, and X’intari from the after school class. Now shy Nandoo was dead, and Pando and Klaarmat were injured. Of the four, only Glenna Laren had escaped unscathed.

She let Din cry himself out, then helped him into the ‘fresher, where she made him take a shower and change into pajamas. He was quiet as she led him into the bedroom and tucked him into bed. “Try to sleep,” she whispered. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

She took a quick shower herself, letting the water wash the tears from her face. Slipping into her nightgown, she crawled into bed next to Din and snuggled up against him, her back pressed against his chest. After a moment, his arms wrapped around her and she felt his face burrow into the back of her neck. “Thank you, _cyar’ika_ ,” he mumbled. “For understanding.”

She took one of his hands in her own, pressing it against her chest, right over her heart. His other hand slid down to her belly. The baby was quiet, for a change, seemingly subdued by her mood.

“Just sleep, Din,” she whispered. “Relax. Sleep. It’ll be better in the morning.”

He nodded into her hair, his breathing starting to even out, no longer hitching with sobs. Suddenly, though, he half sat up. “Where’s Ad’ika?,” he cried out.

“He’s with Tress,” she assured him. “She was watching him while I was at the midwife’s and she offered to keep him overnight for us.”

Din sank back onto the mattress, relaxing a bit more. “I forgot,” he said. “How … how did it go?”

“It went very well,” she said. “But I can tell you all about it tomorrow. For now, just get some rest, _cyar’ika_.”

He sighed deeply and snuggled closer to her. “Okay,” he said wearily. “I’ll try.” She knew from experience how draining a hard cry could be, and she knew he must be exhausted. She gently stroked his hand until she felt him go limp against her, his breathing slow and steady against the back of her neck. As she was about to drift off herself, she felt the baby start to stir. _Go to sleep, little one, please_ , she begged, and after a couple of flips and a feeble kick, the child settled down again. A few minutes later, she was sound asleep, still clutching Din’s hand to her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:
> 
> trikar’la = sad


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the cadets’ mission.

Din woke in the morning feeling hollow. For a long moment, he contemplated calling in sick, but shoved the thought away. He rolled over and thumbed off the alarm on the bedside table so it wouldn’t wake up Mariana. She was sleeping peacefully, her hair spread out across the pillows, her lips slightly parted. No need for her to face the day before she had to.

He slipped out of bed and took his clothes into the ‘fresher to get dressed. He had no appetite but made a cup of kaf, which he sipped at half-heartedly. His data pad still lay on the side table next to the couch, but he was reluctant to pick it up, knowing there would be several messages from the Colonel regarding the day to come.

Finally, he could put it off no longer, and as he tossed the remains of his kaf into the sink and rinsed the cup out, he heard Mariana come out of the bedroom. “Go back to bed, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said dully. 

“I wanted to see you before you go,” she replied. She looked half asleep as she walked toward him, her bare feet padding across the floor.

“I’ll be okay,” he insisted, picking up the data pad. She cocked her head and gave him what he had come to think of as “the look.” He sighed; he couldn’t fool her.

“It’s going to be a tough day,” she said. “I’ll have my data pad handy; comm me if you need anything. Promise?”

“I promise,” he said, lowering his forehead to hers. “I’d better head out. I’m sure the Colonel will have a briefing before classes begin.”

*********************************  
“How are you doing?” Braxden asked the moment Din stepped into his office.

“As well as can be expected,” Din admitted. He still felt hollow, as if he was experiencing everything at one remove from reality. It was almost like being back in his armor, shielded from the world, and while it was comforting in a way, he didn’t like it. He’d grown used to being fully present, a part of other people’s lives.

The Colonel sighed deeply. “We’re all feeling the pain,” he said. “If you need a day or two …”

Din shook his head. “No, the students need me here,” he said firmly. “They knew Corporal Fennic better than they know me; this is going to be hard on them.”

“Rumors have been swirling around campus, but I’m going to call an assembly during first period so they’ll have the correct information,” Braxden said. “I’ll have a counselor in your classroom all day in case any of the cadets have any issues.”

Din nodded. “That’s a good idea, sir. Thank you.”

Braxden clapped a hand on Din’s shoulder. “And in case you need it, too,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help, Djarin. You lost five students, and your assistant. This is hardest on you.” 

Din brushed it off. “Don’t worry about me, Colonel. I’ll be fine.” For the second time that day, Din was on the receiving end of “the look.” 

“Don’t lie to me,” Braxden said. 

“All right, I’m not fine,” Din admitted. “But I will be. I have to be.”

******************************  
Din stood at the back of his classroom as the first period cadets streamed in quietly. Usually, these first year cadets were laughing and chatting as they arrived, but today the mood was somber.

“Is it true?” Sindet Horexta asked, her pale blue eyes rimmed with red. She was one of the local students, thin and always one of the weakest fighters, but with a heart of gold. 

Din nodded, and her eyes welled with tears. “The Colonel will tell you everything at the assembly,” he said carefully. “But yes, Sindet, it’s true. Corporal Fennic and several of the cadets were killed in the attack on the embassy.”

All of the cadets looked solemnly at him, but no one said another word. They waited until the final bell rang, and an announcement came over the PA. “All students and staff please report to the auditorium for assembly.”

Din led his students to the auditorium, where they filed quietly into their seats. He stood at the end of the aisle, avoiding eye contact with the other staff members for fear he’d lose composure if he was confronted with any sort of sympathy. Sergeant Honnal brushed her hand against his elbow as she led her students to their assigned area, and he darted a quick look at her. She looked sober, and he realized her gesture was one of solidarity, not a sexual overture. 

Braxden stepped up to the podium and tapped once on the microphone. The entire auditorium fell silent. “As I am sure you are all aware,” he began somberly, “the cadet squadron assigned to guard the embassy on Vrentos was involved in a terrorist attack. Vrentosian separatists who disapprove of their government’s alliance with Thantos bombed the entrance and infiltrated the building. Our ambassador and her staff were evacuated safely, and most of the terrorists were captured or killed, but the squadron suffered several casualties.” He paused to clear his throat. “Corporal Jamison Fennic, Cadet Lormand Anzitor, Cadet Nandoo Bendar, Cadet Hoven Limante, Cadet Kalen Robbins, and Cadet Helix Shandilon lost their lives.”

Sobs broke out amongst the students and the Colonel paused for a moment to allow them to recover before he went on. “Cadets Fangor Donden, Pando Florenz, Brix Lovari, Vintex Marddanda, Prig Pexar, Corton Trimble, and Klaarmat X’intari were severely wounded and will remain aboard the medical ship until they can be released. The rest of the squadron will be returning to campus tomorrow.” He looked out over the auditorium, his face impassive. “They will be debriefed by me and my staff before returning to their regular schedules. I understand that many of you are curious about what happened, but please remember that some of your fellow cadets may not want to talk about it. Keep this in mind as you interact with them over the coming days. I ask that we all pause for a moment of silence to remember the sacrifice of those who have fallen.”

The students and civilian staff all bowed their heads, but Braxden and the rest of the military officers all stood at attention, staring straight ahead. Din recognized it as a gesture of respect to their lost comrades and kept his own head up in solidarity, even though all he wanted to do was hang his head in grief. He’d indulged in that last night, but now he knew he needed to stay strong for the remaining cadets.

“Dismissed,” the Colonel said simply when the moment was over. As one, the students rose to their feet and began to file out of the auditorium. 

********************************  
By the end of the day, Din had a raging headache but he’d managed to get through the day with only two students breaking down, which he counted as a small victory. He hadn’t asked much of them today, letting the ones who wanted to talk sit in the corner with the counselor, while he led the others through some simple but strenuous physical exercises. Lots of punching and kicking the sand bags, but no hand to hand.

He walked home slowly. He desperately wanted to see Ad’ika and Mariana, but he was worn out.

“Da!” Ad’ika cried the moment he opened the door. He scooped the child up into his arms and hugged him close.

“Hey, kiddo, did you miss me?”

Ad’ika nodded and patted Din’s face. “ _Kotep_ ,” he said. _Brave_. 

Din nodded back. “Yes, _ad_ , I’m trying to be. Where’s Momma?”

Ad’ika pointed toward the ‘fresher door, which opened a moment later. “Hey,” she said. “How’d it go?”

“Well enough,” Din said. “If you don’t mind, can we not talk about it right now? I need to get my mind off it. Tell me about your visit to the midwife yesterday.”

They settled on the couch with Ad’ika tucked between them. Mariana went over the information Valinda had given her. “She wants to know if you’re planning to be there for the birth. If so, you’ll need to come to a few appointments so you can learn what to do.”

Din relaxed into the couch. “Of course,” he said. Now that he was home, he could feel his muscles loosening and his headache easing off. Ad’ika was playing with his fingers and Mariana was running her hand through his hair. “Just make the appointments late enough I can get there after work.” He sighed. “I won’t be doing my tutorial anymore, at least.”

Mariana rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t,” she said softly. 

“I’m okay,” he said, sliding Ad’ika into his lap and dropping his head onto her shoulder. “Just … keep telling me about the baby.”

****************************  
Din walked into the lecture hall. Colonel Braxden had asked him to be present for the debriefing even though he wasn’t military personnel. Several parents were also in attendance, including Shandilon’s, who sat front and center, the mother ostentatiously weeping into a handkerchief while the father scowled at everyone who entered the room. 

“You!” Mr. Shandilon growled, pointing at Din as soon as he entered. 

Braxden hurried to put himself between them. “Now, Mr. Shandilon …”

“No, Braxden. My son is dead and this … this _man_ ,” Shandilon spat, “refused to fulfill his obligation to the Academy and to my poor Helix.”

Braxden held up his hand. “That’s not true, and you know it. Mr. Djarin has done nothing wrong. I’ve told you several times …”

“He cares more about that _creature_ he calls a child than he did about my Helix,” Mrs. Shandilon shrilled. “I don’t know why you hired him in the first place.” For someone supposedly sunken in grief, her eyes were not that red and her makeup was flawless. “Helix told me how he gave extra help to that _Bendaski_ ,” — she spat the word as if it tasted bad — “but didn’t offer any to him.” She glared at Din. “Some people don’t know how to take care of their own kind.”

“That’s enough,” Braxden said firmly. “Cadet X’intari was offered extra help because he had a poor grade in the class, and Mr. Djarin offered the same help to several other students … all of them human. Now I expect you both to sit quietly during the debriefing and if you have any issues, you can bring them up to me _privately_ later on, all right?”

The Shandilon’s huffed, but sat back in their seats, arms folded. Braxden steered Din toward a seat. “Sorry about them,” he muttered. “Ignore them. I’ll handle it.”

As Din sat down, Glenna Laren approached him. “Mr. Djarin,” she said quietly. “I heard Helix’ parents, and I just wanted to tell you, don’t listen to them. They’re full of shit.” Not that long ago, Glenna hadn’t been able to look at him without blushing, but now she stood confidently in front of him and looked him in the eye. “Helix was an asshole and it’s his own fault he’s dead, and his fault some of the others got hurt. I’m going to tell the Colonel that and I don’t care what his parents say.” She straightened her shoulders. “Klaarmat and Pando … they would have been fine if they hadn’t had to try to save Helix and Hoven’s sorry asses.” Her voice hitched but she continued. “And Nandoo … she went back in to get the ambassador’s secretary out. You would have been so proud of her, sir.”

Din laid a hand on her shoulder. “I am proud of her, of _all_ of you,” he said. “I only wish I’d been there …”

“No, sir,” she interrupted. “All of us agreed we were glad you weren’t there. If was bad enough losing Corporal Fennic, but if anything had happened to you …,” she shook her head, “none of us wanted to have to tell your wife you weren’t coming back.” There were tears in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. “You made the right choice, sir. And if anyone says different, they’ll have Cadet Squadron Beta to answer to.”

She saluted him and returned to her seat with the rest of the cadets as Braxden called the debriefing to order. Din surreptitiously wiped a tear from his own eye as he sat back to listen. _They’re going to be okay_ , he thought. _Thank the stars, they’re going to be okay_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:
> 
> kotep = brave


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The injured cadets start to come home, and the Djarins go to a birthing class.

It had been a week since the rest of the cadet squad came home, and Din was adjusting to his new assistant, Corporal Zim. Unlike Fennic, Zim had a hard time making a connection with the students. He had come up the ranks just like Fennic, but was of the opinion that these cadets were a bunch of spoiled kids. Din had already fielded comms from three sets of parents complaining about their younglings calling home in tears over something Zim had said or done.

Fortunately, the older students more than made up for the aggravation of the younger ones. Glenna Laren had effectively taken charge of the third year class; despite the trauma, she’d blossomed since returning and Din felt confident she was going to be a fine officer one day. The fourth year class was a bit more aimless, but that was only to be expected, as they lacked a leader like Laren.

Today, however, the injured students had returned, and while Din had hoped one of them would step up to take the lead, he hadn’t expected it to be X’intari. The Bendaski had always been the quietest one in class, the last one chosen when he asked them to pair up for exercises, but the moment he stepped into the classroom, still swathed in several bandages and limping a bit, the other cadets swarmed around him.

“Hi, Mr. Djarin,” X’intari said when he’d worked his way through the cadets. “What did I miss?” He smiled despite the shadowed look under his bright orange eyes, and Din felt another weight lift off his soul. 

“Not much,” Din replied. “And I won’t expect much of you for a while, until you’re fully recovered.” He turned to the other injured cadets. “Same goes for all of you. Do what you can, help the others if you can’t and don’t be ashamed if you have to sit something out. Sometimes it takes more strength to listen to the doctor’s advice than it does to defy it.”

Once class began, X’intari approached Din again. “They kept Pando awhile longer,” he said quietly. “I’m kind of worried about him.”

Din nodded. “Yes, Glenna told me he was most badly injured. Are they going to be able to save the leg?”

X’intari shrugged. “They wouldn’t tell me much, but I kind of doubt it, sir. I mean, if you’d seen what happened …” He sighed. “Did Glenna tell you how it went down?”

“I was at the debriefing,” Din said simply. The details still haunted him; the terrorist bombs had killed the cadets guarding the front gate, but the rest of the injuries had come when they had entered the embassy with weapons blazing and gone after the embassy staff. They had not been clean blaster wounds, either, but hits from slug throwers and guttings from indigenous Vrentan hunting knives, with their intricate, razor sharp barbs and spikes. Fennic’s throat had been cut; Shandilon and Limante had been shot in the back; the rest had been gutted and bled out. The survivors had all taken slugs. Pando Florenz had taken the worst of it. Three slugs and a shattered leg from fallen debris as he defended a doorway until the last of the embassy personnel were able to get out, thanks to the sacrifice of Nandoo Bendar.

“You tried to save Shandilon, I heard,” he continued.

X’intari shrugged again. “What else could I do? He was a jerk, but he was part of my squadron. I couldn’t just leave him there.”

“You might not have been hit if you had,” Din said evenly.

X’intari looked up at him. “I couldn’t have lived with myself if I hadn’t,” he said simply.

Din clapped his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Then I did my job,” he said. 

**********************************  
Mariana was surprised to find another couple at Valinda’s when they arrived. “I hope it’s okay with you,” the midwife said. “This was the only time they were free and since you’re both due around the same time, and it’s their first one as well, I thought we could do a group appointment this time.”

The other couple looked friendly enough, but very young. Mariana doubted the woman was more than twenty years old, her eyes huge in her fine-boned face. Her husband looked terrified.

“Of course,” Mariana said. She introduced Din to Valinda, who looked him up and down appraisingly.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m used to assessing my patient’s health visually, and I do the same thing with the fathers, I’m afraid. It’s a bad habit.” She winked at Mariana and gave her a thumbs up behind her back. 

She introduced them to the other couple. “Lixa and Tristan Delacor, this is Mariana and Din Djarin.” They exchanged polite handshakes all around while Valinda fiddled with a holovid player.

“There,” Valinda said as the player powered on, projecting a medical logo onto the wall. “I know we’ve already talked about what’s going on as the child develops, and where you both are at the moment, but tonight we’re going to jump ahead a bit and talk about the actual birthing process.”

Mariana felt Din shift a bit next to her on the couch. She reached out and took his hand. 

Valinda started describing the first signs of impending birth and the stages of labor, illustrated with very detailed vids. About halfway through, Tristan looked like he was going to be sick, and by the end, Lixa’s eyes were even larger than they’d been to begin with. 

“And then we deliver the afterbirth,” Valinda concluded, “and I check it for abnormalities. Any questions?”

The Delacors shook their heads, clearly too stunned to speak. Mariana snuck a look at Din. He _looked_ fine, but she knew from the way he’d squeezed her hand tightly at certain points in the vid that he felt uncomfortable. 

“I don’t think so,” Mariana said at last. “You were very thorough.” Din stifled a snort, and she elbowed him in the ribs.

Valinda shut off the vid player and sat down in a chair facing the two couples. “Now, all of that was about what the mother goes through,” she said. “Which is very important, of course, but what we’re here to talk about is the role the father plays in this process.” She smiled at Din and Tristan. “First of all, I thank you both for being willing to participate in this event. Many women choose to deliver in a clinic, with med droids in attendance, and there really isn’t much for their partner to do. Your wives have chosen to have me deliver their babies, and I take a more holistic approach to the birthing process. Which means I’ll need your assistance.”

“Um, how much assistance, actually?” Tristan stammered out. “I don’t have any medical training or anything. I mean, I want to be there for Lixa, but I don’t know how much good I’ll do.”

Valinda patted his hand. “You don’t have to have any medical training, that’s my part of it. And I’ll have Arnie to help if necessary.” She gestured toward the corner where a powered down droid crouched behind a potted plant. “Come on out, Arnie.”

The droid powered up and rolled forward. “This is RNE-82,” Valinda said. “I call him Arnie. He’s an emergency medical droid and he’s my backup in case anything goes wrong.” 

Mariana felt Din stiffen beside her. “I thought you didn’t use droids,” he said suspiciously.

“I don’t,” Valinda said. “Mariana voiced your concerns about droids, and I can assure you, Arnie is only there in the event of an emergency. I’ve delivered over one hundred babies so far and I’ve only had to use Arnie three times. In one case, the mother started to hemorrhage and needed immediate surgery, which Arnie performed. In another case, the mother went into cardiac arrest and Arnie resuscitated her. The third case was a premature birth where the child needed life support until we could get him to a hospital for surgery.”

The droid swiveled its head to look at all of them. “I will be here if you need me,” it said in a vaguely male voice. “Otherwise, I will sit in the corner … as usual. I really don’t get to see much action, because Valinda is very good at her job.”

“Thank you, Arnie,” Valinda said. “You can power down now.”

“I hope I will not see any of you again,” the droid said as it rolled back into the corner.

Valinda went on to explain how a birthing coach assists the midwife by keeping the mother focused and calm. She went over breathing techniques they could practice during the coming weeks, and how to time the frequency of contractions using a pocket chronometer.

“And finally, I’d like you to discuss whether you want to have the birth here at my office, or at your own home,” she said. “There are advantages and disadvantages to both and only you can make the right choice. Either way, Arnie and I will be with you every step of the way.”

The Delacors, both looking very pale and somber, took their leave quickly. Valinda turned to Mariana. “I’d like to suggest you do a home birth, unless you can make arrangements for someone to watch your son,” she said. “I didn’t want to bring it up in front of the Delacors, because I’m not sure of their … politics.” She wrinkled her nose.

Mariana was puzzled, but Din nodded. “I understand,” he said. When Mariana raised an eyebrow at him, he went on. “There is a sizable pro-Imperial faction in the city. They’re extremely xenophobic. I’m afraid not everyone is as appreciative of Ad’ika as the Mondellas are, _cyar’ika _.”__

__“You’re kidding,” Mariana said. “I’ve never had any trouble …” She stopped. Now that she thought about it, there had been some incidents when she’d had Ad’ika out, going shopping or playing in the park. Some sideways glances, people suddenly moving to the other side of the street, or children hurriedly called away._ _

__Valinda shook her head. “I wish it wasn’t true, but it is,” she said sadly. “I’ve already had one patient leave because she heard I’d taken you on. And I’ve already delivered three babies in her immediate family.”_ _

__“If I’m costing you business …” Mariana began, but Valinda cut her off._ _

__“That’s not your problem,” she said. “It’s theirs. I can afford to lose a patient here and there, if it means I get to work with families like yours.” She laughed. “She was a stuck up bitch, anyway. Probably blame me if she bleeds on that fancy new silk birthing gown with the Denovian lace she kept bragging about.”_ _

__******************  
As they waited for their skimmer to arrive, Mariana leaned against Din. “I like her,” he said, slipping his arm around her waist. “Even if she does have a droid.” He winked at her._ _

__Mariana had been quiet after Valinda had revealed she’s lost a client because of them. He wanted to make her laugh._ _

__“Are there really that many people in the city who hate Ad’ika?,” she asked. He tightened his arm around her and kissed the top of her head._ _

__“I’m not sure,” he said truthfully. “And they don’t hate _him_ , they hate the idea of him. The Empire was very good at sowing the seeds of discord, of dividing people into ‘us’ and ‘them’ for its own political goals. Clarvos City is a financial center, and a lot of the major families made a lot of money by working closely with the Empire. They weren’t as happy to see it fall as the rest of the planet was. And since they can’t blame themselves for their losses, they have to blame someone else … anyone else.”_ _

__Mariana sighed deeply. “He’s just a baby,” she said softly._ _

__“I know,” Din replied. They stood in silence until the skimmer pulled up, then they went to pick up their son._ _


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pando Florenz comes home, and the newest member of the Djarin family arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Think of this as an outer space episode of “Call the Midwife.” 😃

Pando Florenz returned two weeks after the other cadets. His bionic leg left him with a slight limp, but he assured everyone that the doctors had said he would learn to compensate over time and it shouldn’t affect his ability to serve in the military. “By the time I graduate, I should be fine,” he’d said, but Glenna still fussed over him, much to Florenz’ chagrin.

“She won’t leave me alone,” he complained to Din one day after the rest of the cadets had left for lunch.

“She’s concerned about you,” Din said, locking up the weapons cabinet. “You nearly died.”

“But I didn’t. I’m fine.”

“Are you?” Din asked. “Really?”

Florenz sat down. “Yeah, really, sir. I wasn’t at first.” He rubbed his hand on the thigh of his synthetic leg. “When they told me they couldn’t fix my leg … I was so scared. All I ever wanted was to be in the military, like my uncle. I didn’t know what to do if I couldn’t come back to the Academy. But when they fitted me for the prosthetic, and I realized I’d be okay, it got better.”

Din sat next to him. “If you need to talk, you know I’m here.”

“Yeah, I know, sir.” The boy sat quietly for a long moment, which in and of itself was astonishing to Din. He’d never thought he’d see Pando Florenz stay still for more than a millisecond.

“So what should I do about Glenna?,” he said finally. 

“That depends on what you want,” Din said carefully.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you really want her to leave you alone, or do you just want her to back off a little?”

Florenz shifted in his seat. “That’s the thing. I really don’t know. I mean, she drives me nuts sometimes, but … it’s kind of nice spending more time with her.” He ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “Half the time I want to scream ‘leave me alone’ and the other half I’m wondering if she’ll go to the Founders’ Ball with me at the end of the year.” He looked up, clearly embarrassed. 

“I’m probably not the best person to give romantic advice,” Din said. Florenz laughed.

“Sorry, sir, but you and your wife are what we kids call ‘relationship goals.’”

Din was puzzled. “What?”

Florenz shrugged. “You’re what we all hope to have some day. Like … how you’re married and have kids but you’re still all flirty with each other. Our parents aren’t like that.”

“Well,” Din said, feeling himself blush, “Mariana and I haven’t really been together that long. I’m sure we’ll be just as boring as your parents when we’ve been married for years and years.”

Florenz lifted an eyebrow. “Somehow I doubt that,” he said. “So, how did you know you were interested in her? And that she was interested in you?”

Din sighed. “It’s hard to say exactly when I knew … probably the first time I gave her a blaster lesson and I kept getting distracted by her hair.” He chuckled. “There’s this one strand that just will not stay in place when she puts her hair up, and I just … always want to tuck it behind her ear.”

“That’s cute,” Florenz said. “Glenna’s hair is always so perfect, but sometimes after practice, it gets kind of messed up …” He stopped and cleared his throat. “Sorry, sir, go on.”

“As for when I knew she was interested in me,” Din continued, “it was when I hurt my hand and after she patched it up, she kissed it, and told me never to scare her like that again.”

“Aww,” Florenz said. “That’s sweet.”

“And then later that night she propositioned me, just in case I didn’t get it,” Din admitted, laughing as Florenz’s jaw dropped in shock. “Trust me, if Glenna likes you, she’ll let you know.” He stood up. “We’d better get some lunch before the period is over. I’ll see you tomorrow, Pando.”

**********************************  
“Oof,” Mariana said. Something was going on. She’d been having the odd twinge now and then for a few weeks, but this was more urgent, and Ad’ika was watching her very closely.

“Should I call Daddy?,” she asked him. “Or wait until he gets home?” 

Ad’ika cocked his head, drooping his ears a bit. His eyes closed and he held his hand out toward her. After a moment, he opened his eyes and trotted over to her data pad.

“Okay,” she said. “Guess it’s time.” She took the data pad from him and thumbed in Din’s personal code. Normally, instructors weren’t supposed to take personal comms during class time, with everything routed through the administration office, but this was not a normal call.

The comm pinged only once before Din’s face popped up. “Are you okay?,” he said. 

“Yeah,” she said, as another pain lanced through her. “But I think it’s time. Can you come home?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” he stammered. She heard students in the background and thought she recognized Klaarmat’s voice saying “Go on, sir, I’ve got this.” 

“I’ll be there as soon as I can, _cyar’ika_ ,” Din said. “Call Valinda and Tress.” His face winked out and Mariana commed Valinda next.

“I’ll be there in less than twenty minutes,” the midwife assured her. “Just relax. You’re going to be fine.”

Tress was a bit more volatile. “Oh, goodness! Um, let me call Garrick, see how quickly he can get home to watch the girls while I run over to get Ad’ika. Unless you think he should stop by and get him? What’ll be faster?”

“No rush,” Mariana assured her. “Valinda and Din will be here soon, and Ad’ika will be fine until you have a chance to get here. Don’t bother Garrick.” She knew that Garrick had been extra busy at work ever since coming back from active duty, now that the Republic action in the Danda sector was over.

She put the data pad down and picked up Ad’ika. He laid his hand on her belly as another pain shot through her. She felt a calming warmth spread out from his tiny hand. “Thank you, _ad_ ,” she said, “but that’s not necessary. I’ll be okay. Just keep me company until the others get here.” She snuggled him close, stroking his ears.

“ _Haalur, buir_ ,” he said. 

_Breathe, mother_.

They sat on the couch and a few minutes later, Din burst through the door. “Where’s Valinda?”

“She’ll be here in a few minutes,” Mariana said. “And Tress will be here as soon as she can.” Another pain struck, and she sucked in her breath. “Here, take Ad’ika.”

“Ma _gotenir_ ,” Ad’ika told him. 

“Yes, I know,” Din said distractedly. “Wait, did you just use a verb? Did you hear that, _cyar’ika_ , he used a verb!”

“Yes, I heard,” Mariana said. She was proud of Ad’ika, but right now she had more pressing concerns. 

“He said you’re giving birth,” Din babbled on, collapsing onto a chair. “Blessed stars, you’re giving birth!”

“I’m aware of that, _cyar’ika_ ,” she said with a laugh. “Now that we’re all on the same page, can we concentrate on the task at hand?”

There was a knock at the door and Din popped up to answer it. It was Valinda, with Arnie in tow.

“Well, hello, there,” she said to Ad’ika, holding out her finger to shake his tiny hand. “Are you excited about getting a baby brother or sister?”

Ad’ika nodded and babbled something to her. Arnie rolled quietly into the corner and powered down while Valinda placed her bag on the table and started unpacking. 

************************  
Din handed Ad’ika to Tress. “Thank you so much for watching him,” he said.

“I’m happy to do it,” she said. “The girls are so excited to see him, and you’re going to have your hands full.” She smiled. “Go on, get back in there. Mari needs you.”

Ad’ika waved goodbye as Tress carried him away, and Din quietly closed the door behind them. He took a deep breath and turned to head back into the bedroom, sparing a glance at the med droid crouched in the corner. A faint red light glowed on its chest, indicating it was in standby mode. _Please don’t be necessary_ , he thought as he passed it.

Valinda was sitting on the bed next to Mariana, rubbing her back. She must have had another contraction while he answered the door. They were still evenly spaced, and Valinda had warned them that this stage could go on for hours. He switched places with Valinda, slipping his arm around Mariana’s shoulders to support her. She leaned against him.

“I’m okay,” she said into his ear. “It’s not that bad.” He could see the pain in her face each time a contraction hit, but he pretended to believe her. 

“Get up and walk around if you want to,” Valinda said. “Movement will help. Or just rest. Let your body tell you what it wants to do.” 

****************************  
Hours passed. Mariana’s water broke, ruining the rug next to the bed, and Din tossed it into the ‘fresher to be washed up later. The contractions started coming more often, and Valinda nodded reassuringly as she noted down the times. 

“You’re doing splendidly,” she said. Din helped her pull Mariana’s hair back into a loose braid to keep it out of her face. She was sweating and the loose hairs sticking to her face were irritating her.

Valinda peeped between Mariana’s legs to check on her progress. “Almost fully dilated,” she said. “It won’t be much longer, sweetheart.”

Din fetched a fresh damp cloth and wiped Mariana’s face and neck, gently smoothing the sweat off her skin. “You’re doing so good, _cyar’ika_ ,” he murmured. “Not much longer.”

He lied. It went on much, much longer than any of them expected. Valinda was calm, talking Mariana through each excruciating contraction, and then reassuring Din in between. “Sometimes things stall out for a while,” she explained. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

Mariana clutched at Din’s hand each time a wave of pain washed over her, trying her best to breathe according to the rhythm he gave her. And after each wave passed, she collapsed back against his chest, while he kissed her and told her how proud he was and apologized a thousand times for not being able to do more to relieve her suffering.

Finally, Valinda announced that Mariana was fully dilated and the baby was about to crown. “This is it, my dear,” she said. “Listen to me carefully. When I tell you to push, I want you to push as hard and as long as you can. And when I tell you to rest, rest. We’re almost there.”

Din braced her as she pushed, panting in her ear as if he were pushing right along with her. He whispered Mando’a in her ear, but she was so tired she caught only a word here and there. She managed to make out _dral, aaray, gett’se, mesh’la, ramikadyc_ , and _tal'onidir_. 

_Strong … pain … courage … beautiful … determined … sweat blood_.

“Just one more, Mariana,” Valinda said. “One last push and your baby will be here.”

“Come on, _cyar’ika_ ,” Din said. “You can do it.”

Every muscle in her body was quivering with fatigue, but she took a deep breath and grabbed hold of Din’s hand. Valinda nodded and she bore down again, gritting her teeth against the pain, feeling a guttural groan build from deep inside her as she pushed and pushed and pushed …

And suddenly the baby was out and was crying and Din was crying and Mariana was crying and Valinda was busying herself with the cauterizer and wrapping the baby in a cloth. Mariana slumped back against Din, utterly exhausted.

“Would you like to see your son?” Valinda asked, holding the squalling baby gently in her arms. Mariana was too tired to lift her arms at the moment, so she gestured for Din to take him first. As Valinda settled the child into his father’s arms, Mariana thought her heart would burst at the look on Din’s face. She’d seen it before, when he watched Ad’ika sleep, but this was several magnitudes brighter and made every moment of pain she’d suffered through worth it.

“He’s so tiny,” Din said in amazement. Mariana wearily lifted her hand and touched the baby’s miniature one.

“So perfect,” she whispered. She gasped as the infant tried to grab hold of her finger. Din smiled at her and she smiled back. 

Valinda puttered about, cleaning up, giving them a moment alone with their son. “I do need to take some readings,” she said after a few minutes. “For the birth certificate.” She held out her hands and Din reluctantly placed the child in her arms.

While Valinda weighed and measured and scanned, Din wrapped his arms around Mariana. “I am so, so proud of you, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said. “I have never seen anyone fight so fiercely or so well.” He nuzzled his face into her hair and kissed her neck. 

“Told you I was a fighter,” she said wearily. She had never been so tired in her life, but she wasn’t ready to rest just yet. She hadn’t held her son yet.

Valinda brought him back over and placed him into her arms. “Have you decided on a name yet?” Valinda asked. “That’s the last thing I need before I can file the birth certificate.”

“Cabur,” Mariana said without thinking. Din squeezed his arm tightly around her shoulders. 

“Are you sure?,” he said, his voice a bit shaky.

“Yes,” she said, tracing the delicate contours of Cabur’s face. “I want him to have a Mando’a name. He’s so tiny right now, but he’s going to grow up so fast, faster than Ad’ika, and he’s going to have to be the big brother soon enough.”

“It’s perfect,” Din said. He turned to Valinda. “It means ‘protector.’”

The midwife smiled. “A very fitting name,” she said. “Now, let’s finish up with the afterbirth so I can get out of here and let you all get better acquainted.” She lifted Cabur out of Mariana’s arms and handed him to Din. “If you want to take him in the other room and make some calls, that might be a good idea. This next bit can get a bit messy.”

*********************************  
Mariana was half asleep, Cabur nestled next to her in the bed when Din brought Ad’ika quietly into the room.

“Mama’s very tired,” he whispered. “We don’t want to wake her up.”

“I’m awake,” she murmured, reaching out with her free arm. “Come here, Ad’ika. Meet your brother.”

Din placed him on the bed and Ad’ika gently reached out to touch Cabur’s face. “ _Vod_ ,” he said.

“Yes, _ad_ ,” Mariana said. “His name is Cabur.”

“Cabur,” Ad’ika repeated. “Cabur. Cabur.” With each repetition of the name, he carefully touched his brother on the hand, the face, the hair. “My Cabur,” he said finally, looking up at Din, his little face aglow.

“Yes, Adi’ka,” Din replied, choking up. “He will be your protector. But right now, you will be his.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:
> 
> Haalur = breathe  
> Gotenir = to give birth  
> draw = bright, glowing, strong, powerful  
> aaray = pain  
> Gett’se = courage, nerve  
> Mesh’la = beautiful  
> Ramikadyc = commando state of mind - an attitude that he/ she can do anything, endure anything, and achieve the objective. A blend of complete confidence and extreme tenacity instilled in special forces during training. Can also be used informally to describe a determined, focused person.  
> Tal’onodir = to sweat blood, to *give blood* - idiom for going that extra mile or making an all-out effort  
> Cabur = guardian, protector


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Djarins have some visitors.

The door chimed and Mariana levered herself off the couch, shifting Cabur into the crook of her arm. She’d just fed him and he was dozing lightly, not quite ready to fall asleep yet but getting close. Ad’ika pattered behind her as she walked to the door, his ears at half-staff. He had become very protective of his brother, even more so right now, since Din wasn’t home. The Colonel had given him a week off to help her get adjusted, but he’d gone to the market for a few things. 

She opened the door, expecting to see Tress and the girls. They’d already been by once, but she knew the girls were constantly clamoring to see Ad’ika and it would not have surprised her to see them again. But it wasn’t Tress. Klaarmat, Pando, and Glenna stood awkwardly on the doorstep, each holding a small gift. Klaarmat had a bouquet of flowers, Pando a box with the name of a very popular local bakery on it, and Glenna a fuzzy knitted blanket tied up with a ribbon.

“Oh, hi, Mrs. Djarin,” Glenna said. “Um, is Mr. Djarin home?”

“He just ran to the market,” Mariana said. “He’ll be back in a few minutes. Come in, come in.”

She stepped back to let them enter, but they hesitated. “We don’t want to intrude,” Pando said. Mariana rolled her eyes. 

“You’re not intruding, please, come in.”

Klaarmat was the first to make a move. “Thank you, ma’am. We’re kind of here to see you, anyway,” he said. “Well, and him.” He nodded toward Cabur, who chose that exact moment to yawn and stretch his little hands, which elicited an “Aww,” from everyone and broke the tension.

The cadets came in and Ad’ika looked them up and down before leading them over to the couch. He hopped up beside Pando and started inspecting the box.

Mariana sat down in the armchair, switching Cabur to the other arm. “I’m assuming there’s something tasty in there,” she said.

“Oh, yeah,” said Pando. “Some lintar cakes. They’re a traditional Thantosian birthing gift. Usually someone in the family makes a big batch, but since you don’t have anyone … I bought some.” He opened the box to reveal a dozen small cakes, studded with dried fruit and drizzled with a sticky-looking glaze. Ad’ika immediately reached for one, but Mariana shook her head.

“No, wait for Daddy,” she said. Ad’ika pouted a little, but withdrew his hand.

Pando closed the box. “Sorry,” he said. 

“If you have a vase, we can put the flowers in it,” Glenna said. Poor Klaarmat was sitting with the bouquet held upright in front of him, barely able to see past it. 

“Of course,” Mariana said. “In the kitchen, the cupboard under the sink, on the right hand side.” Glenna jumped up and fetched the vase, filled it with water from the tap and brought it back. Klaarmat plopped the flowers into it, and Glenna shot Mariana a look. _Boys_.

Glenna fixed the flowers into a more pleasing arrangement and sat the vase on the side table, then she pulled the ribbon off the blanket. “My sisters made this for you,” she said shyly. “I didn’t have time or I’d have done it myself, but with exams coming up soon …” She trailed off, unfolding the knitted blanket, which was a swirl of greens and yellows. “It’s gorna wool, the softest I could find.”

“It’s beautiful,” Mariana said. “Tell your sisters thank you for me.” She unwrapped Cabur from the flannel blanket she had around him and brought him over to the couch. Glenna’s eyes widened as Mariana placed the baby on the blanket in her lap and gently folded the sides over him.

“Go ahead,” Mariana said. “Hold him. He’s sleepy right now, so he shouldn’t fuss.” The girl gingerly scooped him up and cradled him awkwardly in her arms. Pando, sitting beside her, leaned across Ad’ika to look at Cabur, and Mariana did not miss the look that the two cadets exchanged. Din had told her about Pando’s budding interest in Glenna, and it looked like the feeling was mutual.

The door opened, and Ad’ika leaped off the couch. “Da!,” he cried. Din stood in the doorway, two shopping bags hanging off his arm, taking in the scene before him.

“Hi, Mr. Djarin,” Klaarmat said. “We brought gifts.” He waved his hand at the bouquet, Pando’s box and the blanket wrapped baby. 

“Sorry we didn’t call first,” Pando stammered, “but we kind of wanted it to be a surprise, sir.”

Mariana sat back in the armchair, smiling quietly. Din looked stunned by the show of affection from the cadets, and he glanced over at her. She winked at him, and he smiled back. “No worries,” he told Pando. “You’re welcome anytime, you know that. All of you.”

**************************  
Din was overwhelmed to find the cadets in his house, but he hid it as best he could. Klaarmat and Pando helped him put the groceries away, with Ad’ika supervising. Din brewed a pot of kaf to go with the cakes and the boys helped him carry the cups into the living room. 

Glenna was still holding the baby, but Mariana picked him up and tucked him into the basket they used as a bassinet so they could all enjoy the cakes and kaf. The cadets and Ad’ika were crammed on the couch, so Din sat on the floor next to the armchair, waving away the teenagers’ objections. “No, I’m fine,” he said. “I can keep an eye on Cabur this way. And you’re our guests.” He leaned against the side of the chair and sipped his kaf. Mariana reached over and started playing with his hair, nudging the basket gently with her foot to rock it back and forth.

“So … how are things going at school?,” Din asked once it became clear that none of the cadets had any idea about what to say.

“Not too bad,” Glenna said. “Corporal Zim’s holding his own, but it’s not the same without you, sir.”

Pando kicked her foot. “Ow,” she said. “What?”

“We’re not supposed to be making him feel bad,” he hissed.

“Stars, Pando, what did you want me to say, that everything’s fine and we don’t need him? ‘Cause I’m sure _that_ wouldn’t make him feel bad,” she said.

“Oh, shut up, you two,” said Klaarmat. He shook his head. “They keep fussing at each other. Is that part of the human courtship ritual? Because it’s driving me crazy.”

“I told you, we’re just friends,” Pando said, smacking Klaarmat’s arm. 

The Bendaski laughed. “Yeah, right,” he said. “And I’m a Hutt princess.”

Glenna blushed and Pando blustered, while Ad’ika took advantage of their distraction to steal the last bite of Pando’s cake. Din stifled a laugh. _Look at them_ , he thought. _Klaarmat was afraid to talk to anyone a few months ago and now they’re the best of friends_.

“Hey!” Pando cried when he realized what Ad’ika had done. Glenna laughed, but slid the remainder of her own cake into Pando’s hand. 

“Here you go, cry baby,” she said. She picked up Ad’ika and plopped him in her lap. “I’ll hold the bandit so he doesn’t strike again.”

Klaarmat broke the remainder of his cake in half and offered one piece to Ad’ika. “Here,” he said. “Us green kids have to stick together.” Ad’ika snatched the cake from him and beamed as he stuffed it in his mouth. 

Soon, the cadets were relaxed and started asking Mariana questions. Where was she from? What was she studying in school? Was it hard to take distance classes? Was she really such a bad shot?

Din sat back, watching the four of them chatter away. Ad’ika slipped out of Glenna’s lap and fetched Froggy, then crawled into Klaarmat’s lap, where he happily played with the toy while seemingly following the conversation. Din slid the basket a little closer, watching Cabur’s chest rise and fall evenly as he slept despite the noise. When the laughter started to get too loud, he stirred a bit, and Din tapped Mariana on the leg.

“I’m going to put him in the other room,” he said quietly. “You guys are going to wake him up.”

Pando rushed to apologize, stammering that they should be going, but Din shook his head. “No, no, you’re fine,” he said. “Stay as long as you want. I know Mar’ika’s glad to have someone besides me to talk to.” She smacked his butt as he walked past her with the basket, which made Pando nearly choke.

Din tucked the basket into Ad’ika’s bed, with a pillow on either side in case Cabur shifted too much and tipped the basket over. “Have a good nap, _ad_ ,” he whispered, stroking the baby’s cheek with his fingertip. Cabur stirred slightly, leaning into his touch. Din turned on the comm channel on Ad’ika’s data pad, which lay on the table beside the bed; it was a crude but effective baby monitor, and they would hear Cabur if he woke up. He quietly closed the door and went back to join his guests.

Klaarmat and Pando both offered him their seats on the couch, but Din shook his head and settled back on the floor next to Mariana’s chair. “I feel bad, Mrs. Djarin,” Pando said.

“Don’t,” she said. “He’s on the floor playing with Ad’ika half the time anyway.” In response, Ad’ika hopped down and toddled over to Din, Froggy in tow.

“My Cabur?”

“He’s in your room sleeping,” Din told him, fishing Ball out from under the chair. Ad’ika’s eyes lit up at the prospect of a rousing game of Froggy vs. Ball, and the absence of his brother was soon forgotten. Before long, they were both sprawled on the floor and Froggy was ahead by three points.

Din looked up when he heard snickering, and realized that his students were staring at him. Klaarmat had his hand in front of his mouth. “Sorry, sir,” he said, “but … you have a frog on your head.” He dissolved into full on laughter as Ad’ika innocently looked away and busied himself with Ball. Din took Froggy off his head and threw it at Klaarmat.

“Hey!” Klaarmat ducked, his Bendaski reflexes coming into play, and the toy hit Pando in the face. Pando shoved Klaarmat off the couch, where he landed on his backside with a yelp. Ad’ika giggled and launched himself at the boy, familiar with this kind of roughhousing from the Mondella girls. 

“Help me, Pando!” Klaarmat cried, pretending that Ad’ika had him pinned down.

“Nope,” Pando said. “I’m too scared. That tiny Mandalorian will beat me up.” Ad’ika shook his tiny fist at Pando and squealed with delight, then attacked his leg. Fortunately, it was the bionic leg he decided to go after and his little claws had no effect.

“Hey, there, slow down,” Din said, peeling Ad’ika off of Pando’s leg. “You’re getting too wild, kiddo.” He restrained the child gently until he calmed down. Klaarmat sat up, laughing. 

“Sorry, sir,” he said. “It’s my fault.” He scrambled up off the floor. “We should probably be going anyway. I’ve got homework, and I’m sure the others do, too.”

Din handed Ad’ika to Mariana and got up to show the cadets out. “Thank you for coming by,” he told them at the door. “It was very thoughtful.” He was getting better at social situations, but he still felt awkward and wasn’t sure what to say.

“You’re very welcome, sir,” Glenna said. “We thought you might appreciate the company, and besides … we missed you.” Pando and Klaarmat nodded.

“I missed you, too,” Din said. “I’ll see you all in class next week.” He waved to them as they walked away. Pando stumbled the tiniest bit on the bottom step and Glenna steadied him with one hand. He expected the boy to brush her off, but instead Pando leaned into her, just a bit. Chuckling to himself, Din went back inside.

Mariana had brought Cabur back out and was sitting on the couch with his basket on one side of her and Ad’ika on the other, munching on another cake. “How’d he get that?” Din asked. “We put them in the cupboard.”

Mariana shrugged. “The Force is strong in this one,” she said. “Especially when food is involved.” She pulled Ad’ika into her lap and patted the cushion beside her. Din sat down and slipped his arm around her shoulders. She laid her head on his shoulder. “It was really sweet of the kids to stop by,” she said. “They’ve really come a long way since I first met them.” Din hummed his agreement. “It’s because of you,” she went on. “You’re a damn fine teacher, _cyar’ika_.”

Din shrugged. “They’re good kids,” he said. “They just needed a chance to show their full potential.”

“Which is exactly what a good teacher does,” Mariana said. “Trust me, I know the difference between a good teacher and a bad one.” She started playing with Ad’ika’s ears. “I think … I think that’s what I want to do,” she went on. “Teach. I used to think I wanted to lock myself in an archive somewhere and do research, but going back to school — even at a distance — and watching you with your students, I want to teach.”

“Professor Djarin,” Din said into her hair. “I like the sound of that.” 

Ad’ika nodded and yawned. “Ma _mirdala_ ,” he said sleepily as he settled down in her lap.

“Yes, she is,” Din said. “Yes, she is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:  
> mirdala = clever, intelligent, intellectual


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad news at the Academy, and Mariana prepares for battle.

There was a tension on campus when Din stepped through the gate. He was a few minutes early for the weekly staff meeting, so he ducked into Garrick’s office on the way, but his friend wasn’t there. This wasn’t suspicious in its own right, as Garrick often helped the Colonel set up for the meetings, but it didn’t alleviate the uneasy feeling that settled over Din. He headed for the lecture hall.

Garrick was already there and he didn’t look happy. Neither did the Colonel. They both gave Din a grim look as he came in and took a seat. “Any idea what’s going on?” Sergeant Honnal said, taking a seat in the row behind him.

“No,” Din said. “But I don’t like it.”

Garrick left the Colonel and slid into the seat next to Din. “Hey,” he said wearily.

“What’s up?” Din asked. Garrick simply shook his head and said, “You’ll find out in a minute.” He nodded toward the Colonel, who was stepping behind the podium and adjusting the microphone. The meeting was about to begin.

“Good morning, friends,” Braxden said quietly. The room fell silent immediately. “There was a meeting of the Board of Directors last night, as some of you may know. At this meeting, some … changes were made to our operating procedures for the coming school term.” He cleared his throat. “Please remember that I am simply reporting the decision of the board, and that decision does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the military itself.”

“Oh, shit, this sounds bad,” Honnal said.

“In a few weeks, at the conclusion of the current school term, our fourth year cadets will be graduating. This will be the last Academy class that will include non-human graduates.”

“What the hell?,” someone behind Honnal said.

“Beginning with the new term, non-human students will no longer be accepted at Clarvos Academy. Those students currently in their first, second, or third year will not be returning. Only human students will be admitted to next year’s first year class, and all subsequent classes.”

Braxden held up his hand to stop the swell of protests that was starting to rise from the staff. “I know,” he said. “I know. Many of us have served with non-human personnel and find no justification for this blatant discrimination, but unfortunately while our academy is allied with the Thantosian military, it is not run by it. The Academy is a private institution, governed and funded by a board of directors based here in Clarvos City. I assure you that I have informed my own superiors at military headquarters, and that a letter of protest will be filed with the board, but at this time, there is not much we as a staff can do. Thank you. This meeting is dismissed.”

Din stared at Garrick. “Did you know about this?”

“Found out this morning,” Garrick said miserably. “The Colonel called me in early and he was fuming. We spent an hour going over our contract with the Board, trying to see if we can override them, but for now, there’s nothing we can do.” He sighed. “It’s Shandilon’s parents behind it, I’m sure. They’re old line Clarvonians and ever since he died, they’ve been pushing their agenda. He’s on the Board and so is her cousin.”

“It’s a load of bantha shit,” Honnal grumbled. “General Grantham won’t stand for it, I can tell you that.”

“Unfortunately, General Mikko is in charge of the Academy liaison program,” Garrick said, “and his brother-in-law is married to the daughter of the president of the Board.”

Braxden approached them. “Mr. Djarin, I’ve asked Corporal Zim to start your first period class. Can you meet me in my office in five minutes?”

“Of course, sir,” Din replied. He glanced at Garrick, but his friend would only shrug. Obviously, the Colonel had told him not to talk, which did not bode well for Din.

A few minutes later, he entered the Colonel’s office. Braxden sat slumped in his chair behind his desk, which was strewn with data pads and papers. “Have a seat, Djarin,” he said.

_Might as well cut to the chase_ , Din thought. “Am I being fired?,” he asked.

“No,” Braxden said. “Oh, stars, no.” He shook his head. “They tried, but according to the contract, only I can dismiss personnel. They strongly suggested you not be asked back for next term, but I declined. So … they’re going to try another tactic.”

“What’s that?”

“This is absolutely ridiculous,” Braxden said. ”But they’re trying to get you investigated on grounds of immorality.”

“What?”

“The Board can remove a staff member if they are deemed a threat to the moral well being of our students,” Braxden explained. “As far as these hardline Clarvonians are concerned, the fact that you have a non-human child is grounds enough, but the military takes a different view.”

“Then why do they want to investigate me?” Din was confused.

Braxden leaned back in his chair and sighed. There were bags under his eyes and Din suspected the Colonel hadn’t slept much last night. “Someone told someone that Cadet Glenna Laren mentioned she’d been at your residence.”

“That’s true,” Din admitted. “She and two other cadets stopped by last week. They brought lintar cakes and some other gifts.”

Braxden nodded and scribbled some notes on a pad. “Who was with her?”

“Pando Florenz and Klaarmat X’intari,” Din said. 

“And they were both there the entire time?”

‘’Yes,” Din said, frustrated. “So was my wife. In fact, she was the one who let them in, because I wasn’t even home when they arrived. I came home from the market and they were already there.”

“Good,” Braxden nodded, adding to his notes. “How long did they stay?”

“I don’t know, maybe an hour? I put away the groceries, made a pot of kaf, we all had a cup and a lintar cake, talked for a little while, then they left.”

“And you were never alone with Laren?”

“Of course not!” Din said. 

Braxden raised his hand. “I’m not accusing you, Mr. Djarin,” he said. “I told you this was ridiculous. I’m just trying to keep this from getting out of hand. I’ll get statements from Laren, Florenz, and X’intari, possibly one from your wife, if necessary. Shandilon can bluster all he wants, but if there is no proof of anything untoward happening, he can’t make a move against you.”

Din slumped in his chair. “So what do I do now?”

“Nothing,” Braxden said. “You go to class and carry on as if nothing’s happened, because nothing has.” He stood up and held out his hand. Din stood as well. “Shandilon is a nasty piece of work, but you taught his son, so that’s no surprise to you. I’ll take care of him. You just do what I hired you to do.”

“Yes, sir,” Din said, shaking the Colonel’s hand. “Thank you.”

**************************************  
Florenz and Laren were fuming when they came into the classroom. Din shook his head at them before they could say a word. Class proceeded as usual, but the two hung back when the bell rang to signal the beginning of the lunch period.

“The Colonel spoke to you,” Din said once the three of them were alone.

“Yes,” Florenz said bitterly. “I can’t believe …” he trailed off, shaking his head.

“I can,” Laren said with a sigh. “I mouthed off to them after the debriefing, told them exactly what I thought of their precious son.” 

“It’s not your fault,” Din reassured her. 

“We shouldn’t have gone to your house, sir,” she said. “If we hadn’t …”

Din cut her off with a raised hand. “If you hadn’t, they’d have tried some other angle,” he said. “They’re bitter over the death of their son and they want to blame someone for it. I’m an easy target.”

“Well, they can talk all the shit they want about you, sir, but the Colonel’s got your back,” Florenz said. “So do we.” He grabbed Laren’s hand and squeezed it tightly. 

“Thank you,” Din said. “Now go get some lunch before you run out of time.” He shooed them out, noticing that they were still holding hands as they walked out of the room. 

**************************  
X’intari stalked into the classroom like a wildcat. Din had never seen the boy so confident .. or so angry. “If Helix Shandilon wasn’t already dead ….” 

“Cadet,” Din warned him, but X’intari barreled on.

“I’d kill him myself,” he finished. 

“And what good would that do?” Din asked. 

The Bendaski stared him in the eye for a long moment before backing off just a bit. “Not much,” he admitted. “But it would certainly feel good.”

The other cadets were staring curiously at them, but Din declined to elaborate. X’intari, on the other hand, was more than ready to explain.

“Helix’ parents are trying to get Mr. Djarin fired,” he said. “They asked the Colonel to let him go and he said no. So they ‘suggested’ he not be asked back next year, and the Colonel said no to that, too. Now they’re trying to get him investigated on grounds of immoral behavior, which is banthashit.” His hands tightened into fists. “I just had to give a sworn statement that when Pando and Glenna and I went to the Djarin’s house last week that … that Glenna and Mr. Djarin were never alone at any time … and it’s just so fucked up!”

“Easy, Klaarmat,” Din said.

‘No! I’m not going to take it easy. These … _people_ think I’m worthless. Well, okay, I’ve been dealing with that for years. But to go after you just because of your son … because you gave me a chance … to accuse you of ….” He sputtered off into incoherence. 

“They’re angry,” Din told him. “They lost their son and they’re looking for someone, _anyone_ to blame. Their default position is to accuse ‘them’. Whoever they deem ‘them’ to be.”

The rest of the cadets stood quietly while X’intari slowly calmed down. “I’m sorry, everyone,” he said finally. “I lost my temper.”

“We’re all mad,” Coran Maxlor said. “We’ve all heard the rumor about them not letting non-human cadets in next year. My composition instructor is going to resign. She told us today.” He shook his head. “My brother was looking forward to taking her class next year, and now he won’t get to.” 

X’intari turned to Din. “You aren’t going to resign, are you, sir?” His orange eyes were wide.

“No,” Din said. “I don’t like what the board is doing, but if I resign in protest, they get what they want. I’m staying.”

********************************  
Mariana was furiously typing on her data pad when Din got home. She held up one finger to forestall him, tapped a few more keys, then laid the pad down. “I’m having lunch with Mrs. Shandilon tomorrow,” she said. “If she’s brave enough.”

“The Colonel spoke to you,” Din said simply.

“Damn right he did,” she said. “And I told him I’ll give him a statement if he needs one, but first I’m going to have a talk with Helix’ mother and see if I can straighten this whole mess out.”

Her data pad pinged. She picked it up. “How kind of her,” she said. “She just happens to have an hour available for me in her busy schedule.”

“Go easy on her, _cyar’ika_ ,” Din warned. “She just lost her son.”

Mariana tilted her head to one side. “Seriously? The woman and her husband are trying to ruin your career and you want me to go easy on her?”

“I didn’t say be nice,” Din said. “Just don’t kill her or anything.” He winked. “Are the boys asleep?”

“Yes, finally,” Mariana said. “I’ve been trying to work on a paper, but every time Cabur went down, Ad’ika wanted to play, and then when I got him tired out, Cabur woke up and wanted to eat ….” She smiled wearily. “Then I got the comm from the Colonel.”

“Work on your paper,” Din said. “I’ll take over with the boys.” As if on cue, Cabur’s thin wail came through the open bedroom door.

Mariana sighed. “He’s hungry again,” she said. “You can’t handle that, but as soon as he’s fed, you’re on duty.” Din fetched the baby, with Ad’ika trailing behind him, clutching Froggy and yawning.

“My Cabur _epar_ ,” Ad’ika said sleepily. “Me _epar_?”

“Yes, _ad_ , we’ll all eat,” Din said. He looked over at Mariana. “Guess I’m making dinner.”

“Good,” she said, settling Cabur at her breast. “Time you started earning your keep around here.” 

“Oh, I pity Mrs. Shandilon,” Din said as he started rummaging through the cupboards. “She does not know what she’s in for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:
> 
> epar = eat


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mariana tells Mrs. Shandilon the score.

The Grand Clarvonian Hotel lunchroom was one of those overly posh places with spindly-legged tables and chairs, exquisite lace tablecloths, and hideously ugly porcelain plates. Brisenda Shandilon sat at one of those spindly-legged tables, one with a full view of the entire room … and where everyone in the room could see her. Her cream colored dress draped elegantly off her shoulders; her unnaturally dark hair was swept up in an intricate style woven with pearls and crystals, just this side of overdone.

Mariana felt distinctly underdressed for the venue, but that was probably the whole point of meeting here. Mrs. Shandilon had insisted on “treating” Mariana to lunch at the Grand Clarvonian, knowing full well that the wife of an Academy instructor was highly unlikely to have ever dined there before. The host led Mariana to Brisenda’s table, a disapproving look on his face. Mariana wasn’t sure if it was because of the plain style of her dress, or because she had Cabur bundled in a sling against her chest. Tress had offered to watch him as well as Ad’ika, but Mariana wasn’t ready to part from him for that long. 

“Mrs. Djarin,” Brisenda said when they reached the table. She did not deign to stand up, but did offer a limp hand for Mariana to shake.

“Mrs. Shandilon,” Mariana replied with a nod, taking the seat the host held out for her. She shifted Cabur’s sling a bit so that he wasn’t directly between her and the table and she could settle comfortably. 

Brisenda raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “If you were unable to find a babysitter, you should have contacted me. We could reschedule.”

“Oh, no,” Mariana said. “It’s fine. I have someone to watch my older son, and I just fed Cabur so he should sleep for awhile. He won’t be a bother.” She pulled the edge of the sling back to peek at him, then tucked it back to shield his face from the lights. She had the distinct feeling that Brisenda had been the sort to hand her baby over to a nursemaid and not look back.

“Very well,” Brisenda said. “Shall we order?” She waved a finger and a waiter appeared at her side like magic. “I think perhaps a light salad of greens, followed by a braised tork filet and creamed noro roots?”

Mariana had no idea what that was, but she smiled and agreed. “That sounds lovely,” she said.

The waiter scurried off and Brisenda folded her hands on top of the table, her lacquered fingernails reflecting the light from the overhead lamps. “So, Mrs. Djarin,” she said. “You wanted to speak to me about something.”

“Yes,” Mariana said, leaning forward slightly. “I want to know why you and your husband are trying to destroy my husband’s career.” She smiled, but stared directly into the other woman’s eyes until she blinked and looked away.

“I have no idea what you mean,” Brisenda said disingenuously. 

“Oh, I think you do,” Mariana said. She dropped the smile. “You asked Colonel Braxden to fire him, and he said no. Then you asked that he not be asked back for next year, and Braxden again said no. So now I hear there’s some trumped up charge of immorality being brought against him?” She leaned back. “I’d advise you to tread carefully here, Mrs. Shandilon.”

Brisenda dropped all pretense of friendliness. “Look here,” she said, stabbing at the table with one shiny claw. “I don’t have to listen to you. I don’t think your husband is the sort of person who should be teaching our children. He doesn’t represent the ideals we Clarvonians wish to impart to the next generation.”

“And which ideals would those be?” Mariana asked. “Hatred toward non-humans, like my oldest son? Preferential treatment for those with money and power, like you?”

Brisenda leaned forward, dropping her voice into a nasty hiss. “Clarvos City was better off under the Empire, when we didn’t have to share with outsiders. They take our jobs, they take our profits …”

“They attempt to save your son’s life,” Mariana countered. When Brisenda gave her a confused look, Mariana pressed on. “Klaarmat X’intari could have walked out of that embassy without a scratch on him, but he tried to get Helix and his friend out of there. Because they were part of his squadron, and one of the ideals my husband had tried to impart to his students is that a good soldier _never_ leaves anyone behind. _Traat'aliit gar besbe'trayc_. Your squad is your weapon.”

Brisenda blinked and sat back slightly. “Oh, you didn’t know that?” Mariana asked sweetly. “That the Bendaski cadet your son relentlessly teased and tortured risked his own life trying to save him? That even though Helix had clearly been shot in the spine, Klaarmat still made sure he was beyond saving before he retreated? I thought you were at the debriefing.”

“I — we were there,” Brisenda said uncertainly. “My husband and I. But I was so distraught over the loss of Helix, I couldn’t pay attention to all the details.”

“And that was your mistake,” Mariana said. “You were so busy feeling sorry for yourself, that you ignored what really happened. Now, listen carefully, because I’m going to tell you what happens next. You are going to drop this ridiculous charge against my husband. I’m not naive enough to believe you’ll ever be gracious enough to thank Cadet X’intari for trying to save your son, or that you’ll try to reverse the board’s xenophobic policies, but you _will_ stop harassing my husband. Do you understand?”

Brisenda’s face hardened. “You don’t tell me what to do,” she said.

“All right, then, I’m _strongly suggesting_ you do what I say,” Mariana said. “Because I’m not going away, and neither is my husband. If you want to continue this charade, all three of the cadets are prepared to testify in front of the board, and so am I. Hell, we’ll go in front of the City Elders if we have to. We have nothing to hide. We’ll tell everyone how the Academy Board is persecuting a teacher simply because they don’t like a member of his family. An innocent, adorable child who hasn’t done anything to anyone.”

“A ‘child’ that isn’t human,” Brisenda said with distaste. “How many people in Clarvos City do you think will sympathize with you?”

“Enough,” Mariana said. “And more elsewhere on the planet. And even more on other planets in the Republic. You see, I can always drop a line to my friend in the Senate. You may have heard of her … Senator Organa of Alderaan?”

The waiter brought their salads and poured glasses of sparkling blue water for them before bowing himself away from the table. Brisenda held her tongue until he was far enough away not to overhear them.

“And what good would that do you?,” she asked, delicately picking up her fork.

Mariana picked up her own fork and smiled. “One word from Organa and there would be a bevy of HoloNet reporters here.” She took a bite of her salad. “Mmm … delicious.”

Brisenda’s eyes narrowed. “Reporters?”

“Oh, yes,” Mariana said brightly. “After Thantos Prime sent troops to assist the Republic, I’m sure there are lots of galactic citizens who would be very interested in learning more about this charming planet.” She took another bite. “And I can think of several planets that would be extremely interested in finding out just how inhospitable Thantos can be for other species. Planets with much stronger voices in the Galactic Senate than Thantos has.”

Brisenda set her fork down with a clatter. “You wouldn’t dare,” she said uncertainly.

“You have no idea what I would dare to do, Mrs. Shandilon,” Mariana said. “Just tell your husband to ask the Board to drop the charge and you’ll never have to find out.” She smiled brightly and took another bite of her salad. It really was rather good, but even tastier was the look of defeat on Brisenda’s face.

“Very well,” Brisenda said. “But we’ll be keeping an eye on you and your husband … and that _thing_ you call a son.” She sniffed haughtily and picked up her fork. She took one bite, then pushed the plate away. “I suddenly find I’ve lost my appetite. If you’ll excuse me ….” She stood, dropping her napkin onto her plate. “I’ll leave instructions for the waiter to put the bill on my tab.” She gave Mariana a sarcastic bow and swept from the room.

Several eyes turned toward Mariana once Brisenda had left, but she simply smiled at them and finished her salad. When the waiter returned to clear her plate, she informed him that there was no need to bring the rest of the meal. She drained her glass, dropped a generous tip on the table and asked him to thank Mrs. Shandilon the next time he saw her. She made sure Cabur was still secure in his sling, then left the lunchroom. 

“Well, that went well, my darling,” she said to him, stroking his cheek gently so as not to wake him too soon. “Daddy will be proud of us.” Cabur sighed and squirmed a little. “I know, you didn’t do very much,” she went on, “but you give me strength, and you remind me what I’m fighting for, _verd'ika_.” _Little soldier_. She smiled to herself as she walked down the street; Din would be pleased to know his son had acquitted himself so well at his first battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:
> 
> Traat'aliit gar besbe'trayc = The squad is your weapon  
> verd’ika = private (rank) Can be used affectionately, often to a child; *little soldier* - context is critical.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Founders’ Ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some fluff as we near the end of the story. 😃

There were only a few weeks of the school year left. Din was busy evaluating the first and second year students in anticipation of giving out their final grades; he’d already told the third and fourth year students that as far as he was concerned, they had passed their final exam during their mission and they were all getting an “A” for the course. 

It was just as well, for most of the older students were more interested in planning for the Founders’ Ball than in preparing for their exams. The formal dance was held every year just before the final week of school, and was the highlight of the cadets’ social season. It seemed that everyone was going, and a good percentage of the conversations on campus were about who was taking who, who was wearing what, and where everyone was going afterward.

“Why is it such a big deal?” Din asked Mariana one night. “I’d think they’d be more concerned about their exams, especially the fourth years who are about to graduate.”

“Most schools have some sort of rite of passage like this,” she explained. “At my school, it was the Winter Festival. We lived on a northern continent and the planet had a pretty pronounced axial tilt, so the solstices were a big deal. The dance was held right before school let out for the midwinter break, which was also when we had midterm exams. All of the senior year teachers knew there was no point in expecting their students to concentrate on anything at that point.”

“But that still doesn’t explain why the dance is so important,” Din said. “It has nothing to do with their grades.”

Mariana laughed gently. “It’s a celebration,” she said. “Especially for the ones who are graduating. Most of them are never going to see each other again once they leave the academy. It’s a last chance to be with their friends before they all move on to the next phase of their lives.”

**************************  
“Are you going to the Ball?” Tress asked, once Ad’ika and the girls had settled down to play in the bedroom. Now that Cabur was a bit older, Mariana took the boys for a walk down to the Mondella’s house every few days for a play date.

“Oh, no,” Mariana said. She settled Cabur in a little nest on the couch where they could keep an eye on him while they chatted, and picked up the cup of rejon tea Tress had brewed for her. It was a light, floral drink that she’d become quite fond of since coming to Thantos Prime. “Cabur’s still too little to leave for that long, and besides, I don’t think Din knows how to dance.” She laughed. “Not that I’m that great a dancer myself.”

“I think you should,” Tress said, taking a sip of her own tea. “I’d be glad to watch Cabur, and it would only be a few hours. You deserve a night out.”

Mariana shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Besides, aren’t you and Garrick going? You deserve a night out, too.”

“We’ve been before,” Tress said. “And if you and Din go, it’s a poke in the eye for the Shandilons.” She smirked. “Just think of the look on her face if you dance with the Colonel.”

Mariana laughed. “Well, there is that,” she admitted. “But I don’t think Din would go for it. He’s still trying to figure out why the dance is even taking place. Fancy balls aren’t exactly a part of Mandalorian culture.”

They sipped their tea and gossiped about some of the other staff members and their families. Nothing too vicious; mostly just Tress continuing to explain the tangled relationships amongst the tight knit Academy community. Mariana knew Tress told her friends bits and pieces about her and Din, too, so she didn’t feel too bad about being a bit nosy.

Cabur woke up and demanded food. Mariana nursed him while Tress checked on the others, who had gotten suspiciously quiet. She came out of the bedroom a few minutes later with Ad’ika in her arms, his face painted with some of her makeup and several bows tied around his ears. The girls trailed behind her, looking only slightly abashed.

“‘Dika’s pretty now,” Becca said softly.

“Very pretty,” Mariana said. “But I don’t think your mama gave you permission to use her things.”

The girls looked up at Tress sadly. “No, she didn’t,” Lina admitted. Felice just shook her head and stared at her feet.

“Well, how about you girls help me clean him up while Mrs. Djarin finishes feeding Cabur,” Tress said. “And then I think she needs to take the boys home.”

“Aw, no,” the girls whined. “We want to play some more!”

“Their daddy will be home soon, and so will yours,” Tress said. 

“Okay,” Lina said sadly. The girls followed her into the ‘fresher and soon Mariana heard their giggles and squeals as they washed Ad’ika’s face. By the time Cabur was full and she’d burped him, Ad’ika returned, damp and smiling, and the girls were laughing again.

********************************  
“Oh, come on, Mr. Djarin,” Pando pleaded. “You have to go to the ball.”

“I don’t dance,” Din said simply. “And the baby is too small to leave. Maybe next year.”

“I don’t know how to dance, either,” Pando said. “Neither does Klaarmat or half the other guys.” He hopped up on the table, his legs swinging. By now, it was almost impossible to tell which leg was real and which was artificial. 

“I don’t think Mariana will want to go,” Din tried.

“Girls always want to go to dances,” Pando said. “Just ask her.”

“Our babysitter is Mrs. Mondella,” Din was grasping at straws now. “She might not be available. I haven’t asked the lieutenant if they’re going to the ball.”

“But if they aren’t, and she can babysit, and your wife wants to go, will you come? Please?” 

Din sighed. “I’ll ask,” he said. “That’s all I can promise.” He wasn’t sure why the cadet was so insistent that Din attend the ball, but since he sincerely doubted that Mariana would want to leave Cabur that long, it wouldn’t hurt to ask her. When she said no, he could honestly tell Pando that he couldn’t go.

“Thanks, sir,” Pando said, jumping down off the table. “I’m kind of nervous about going with Glenna, and it’ll help if you’re there.” _Ah, so that’s it_ , Din thought. 

Over dinner that night, Din broached the subject with Mariana. “Pando Florenz wanted to know if we were going to the Founders’ Ball,” he said. “I told him I didn’t think so, but he made me promise to ask you if you wanted to go.”

“That’s funny,” she said. “Tress was trying to talk me into going this afternoon. She offered to watch the boys, but I told her I didn’t think you’d want to go.” She tilted her head to one side. “Do you?”

“Not really,” Din admitted. “I’m a little bit curious, but … I’ve never been to a dance before. It would be awkward.”

Mariana nodded. “Yes, it would,” she said. “I’m not much of a dancer, either. You know how clumsy I am.”

“Mmm-hmm,” he agreed. “And you’ve never left Cabur for that long.”

“I’d have to make sure to feed him right before we left, and probably leave some milk for Tress. And he’s never used a bottle, so that would be hard for her,” she said.

“And you’d have to get a fancy dress,” Din said. “And I’d have to get a new suit.”

“Yeah, it’s too much trouble,” she said. “Maybe next year?”

“That’s what I told Pando,” Din said. “Next year.”

Mariana reached out and laid her hand on his. “You want to go, don’t you?,” she asked softly.

“Yeah, I do,” Din admitted. “So do you.”

“Yeah, it would be nice to have a real date for once, wouldn’t it?” She smiled. “Get dressed up, just the two of us …” 

“We’re going to the Founders’ Ball, aren’t we?”

She nodded. “Yes, I think we are.”

***************************  
Mariana adjusted the neckline of her gown. It was a deep burgundy color, nipped at the waist and flaring down to almost reach the ground. It would drag on the floor if she didn’t have heels on, which made her slightly unsteady. _Why are women always expected to wear high heels_ , she thought to herself. _I’d like to see men try to walk around and dance in these ridiculous things_. Still, she had to admit that there was something to be said for the look, as she twirled around in front of the mirror. Tress had left the girls with her sister-in-law, much to their consternation, and had come over to not only watch the boys but to help Mariana get ready. With her help, Mariana now looked like someone off the HoloNet gossip shows. Hair up in a fancy braided style, makeup on, borrowed jewelry sparkling at her throat and ears … she laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Tress asked.

“I don’t look like me,” Mariana admitted. 

Tress tilted her head. “Yes, you do, just more so than usual,” she concluded. “And Din is going to _love_ it.” She winked.

Mariana blushed. “I hope so,” she said. “I didn’t think he really cared that much about the dance, but once we decided to go … I swear, he’s been talking about it as much as the students have.”

“I know,” Tress said, tucking a stray strand of hair back into its braid. “Garrick said he’s been driving him nuts, asking a million questions. Has he really never been to anything like this before?”

Mariana nodded. “So, am I ready?”

“Yes,” Tress said firmly. “Go have fun with your man. The boys and I will be fine.” She gave Mariana a hug. “Enjoy.”

Mariana left the bedroom. Din was already dressed, of course. _Men have it so easy_ , she thought. His suit was dark grey, very conservative in cut but the waistcoat he wore underneath was a brilliant sapphire blue. When he turned to face her, it took her breath away.

“Wow,” she said. “You clean up nicely.”

He looked her up and down, his eyes shining. “So do you, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said. He held out his hand. “Shall we go?”

They walked the short distance to the campus. It was a bit chilly, and Din put his arm around her shoulders. “I’m nervous,” he whispered when they reached the dining hall, which had been transformed into a ballroom for the event.

“Me, too,” she admitted. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to one of these.” He kissed her temple before opening the doors. The room was dazzling with lights, reflecting off the glassware and the jewels and the rhinestones scattered across many of the girls’ dresses. A small orchestra played sedate dance music that could just be heard over the buzz and hum of conversation. Waitstaff circulated with trays of drinks and food, while clumps of cadets gathered around the edges of the dance floor, wanting to dance but hesitant to be the first ones to take the plunge. It was overwhelming but in the nicest way.

“Ready?” Mariana whispered.

“As I’ll ever be,” Din replied. They stepped into the fray.

“Mr. Djarin!” It was Pando, with Glenna at his side. “You made it! Wow, Mrs. Djarin, you look amazing!” His eyes were wide and he looked a bit flushed; Mariana had the impression that he’d already had a drink or two.

“That dress is beautiful,” Glenna chimed in. Her own dress was dark green, with a scattering of silver embroidered flowers and a plunging neckline that quite frankly, Mariana was surprised to see on the normally prim and proper girl. 

“So is yours,” she replied. Glenna giggled and gave a little twirl to show it off. _They’ve definitely had a drink or two_ , Mariana thought. She pulled Glenna aside for a moment. “Pace yourselves,” she whispered. “The night is young.”

“Huh?” Glenna said.

“Don’t drink too much too early,” Mariana said with a wink. 

Glenna blushed. “How could you tell?” Technically, the third year students were too young to drink alcohol legally according to the laws of Clarvos City, but no one seemed to be paying much attention to that statute tonight.

Mariana simply laughed. “I’m not judging,” she said. “Just … don’t overdo it, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Glenna replied. She leaned over to whisper (loudly) in Pando’s ear. “Hear that? No getting drunk. Mom said.”

Pando gave Mariana an offended look. “I would never, Mrs. Djarin,” he said. “I’m a fine, upstanding cadet with a promising future.” 

Din raised an eyebrow and they all dissolved into laughter. “Yeah, didn’t think I could say that with a straight face,” Pando admitted. “But we’ll be careful. Promise.”

The pair wandered off and Mariana nudged Din with her elbow. “Go on, you can have one,” she said, as a waiter walked by with a tray of frosted glasses. “Just because I can’t doesn’t mean you have to abstain as well.”

Din plucked a glass from the tray. “Just one,” he said. “If you’re expecting me to dance, I’ll need the false courage.”

They circulated around the room, nibbling on appetizers and chatting with students and staff. Mariana even managed to find an non-alcoholic punch that was quite tasty (the first one she tried was sickeningly sweet and made her teeth ache, the second one looked and smelled like swamp water). They had made their way almost halfway around the room when Klaarmat approached. 

“Hi, Mr. Djarin, Mrs. Djarin,” he said brightly. He wore a cream colored suit that went well with his green skin tone. Still, he stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the darker suits and dresses of the others, and Mariana couldn’t help but notice that he seemed to be attending the dance alone.

“How are you, Klaarmat?,” she asked. “Having fun?”

He shrugged. “Does anyone really have fun at these things?” He laughed quietly. “Actually, yeah, I am having a good time, considering. Kind of weird to think that in a week, we’ll all be graduated, off to start our careers.” He straightened his shoulders. “I’m being posted to Rentrock.”

Din smiled. “Congratulations,” he said. Turning to Mariana, he explained. “Rentrock is the high command center; only the best and brightest get posted there.”

“I think it’s just because I got hurt so bad,” Klaarmat said. “They feel sorry for me.”

“That’s not true,” Mariana said. “And I think news like that deserves to be celebrated. Would you like to dance, Klaarmat?”

“What? Me?” He looked flabbergasted. “Oh, no, Mrs. Djarin, I’m fine.”

“Well, I’m not,” she insisted. “I may be clumsy but at least I’m not afraid to dance in front of others, unlike _some_ people.” She looked pointedly at Din, who shrugged.

“I never learned how,” he protested.

“Then watch, and learn,” Mariana said, taking Klaarmat by the hand and leading him onto the dance floor despite the boy’s protests. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “I just want to show him that the floor isn’t going to open up and swallow us if we can’t dance well.” 

“Um, okay, Mrs. Djarin,” Klaarmat said as he gingerly laid one hand on her shoulder. 

“You can call me Mariana,” she said as they took a tentative twirl across the floor. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, I guess we are,” he said, as they joined the throng of couples. Mariana knew she was getting some dirty looks for dancing with the Bendaski, but she didn’t care. He was one of Din’s best students, she liked him, and the look on Brisenda Shandilon’s face when they waltzed past her was worth a thousand credits.

When they finished their dance, Klaarmat walked her back to where Din was waiting. “Your turn, sir,” he said with a smirk. “She only stepped on my feet once.”

Mariana swatted at him, but his Bendaski reflexes once again came into play and he easily dodged her hand. 

Din took a deep breath and caught her hand. “All right, I’m ready. Let’s do this.” He led her out onto the dance floor and soon the rest of the crowd was forgotten. One hand nestled snugly at her waist, holding her close while the fingers of his other hand intertwined with hers. She let the hand on his shoulder drift up to cup the back of his neck, sliding up into his hair now and then. 

“I kind of like dancing,” he murmured.

“I thought you might,” she replied. The hand on her hip was sliding down just a bit, getting dangerously into territory that was not appropriate for a public occasion. She cleared her throat and gently moved it back to a safer position. Din blushed and stepped on her toes, which caused her to burst into laughter.

“Ha! You’re as bad as me,” she teased. He made a face, then darted in for a quick kiss. “Stop it,” she hissed. “People will see.”

“Let them see,” he said softly. “Let them see how much I love my wife.” He pressed his forehead against hers and they swayed gently to the music until the song ended.

*************************  
By the end of the night, Din had danced with Colonel Braxden’s wife (which was only proper; the Colonel had danced with Mariana so Din had to return the favor) and Sergeant Honnal (she had surprised him by politely asking Mariana if she could cut in; Mariana had surprised him even more by graciously letting her), but he found that he really only enjoyed dancing with his _cyar’ika_. As they walked home, his feet were sore (she’d more than evened the score by stepping on his feet three times over the course of the evening) but he was happy.

“That was quite an experience,” he said as they approached their apartment. 

“It was technically our first real date,” she said, with a laugh. “We certainly do things backwards, don’t we? Got a kid first, then hooked up, got pregnant, then got married, had a baby, then went on a date.”

“Well, technically, I think we were married when Cabur was conceived, we just didn’t know it yet,” Din said. “But we definitely aren’t conventional, are we?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, _cyar’ika_ ,” she said.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Way forward becomes clear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s hard to say goodbye to some of these characters but it’s time for the Djarin family to continue on their Way.

Mariana dove for the data pad before Cabur could pull it down on his head. “Nope, nope, nope,” she told her son as she snatched the device away from him. “That’s my toy.” Ever since he’d started walking, Cabur was into everything, and half the time Ad’ika aided and abetted him in his mischief instead of alerting her to it.

She pressed the button to answer the incoming comm. “Mariana Djarin,” she said brightly, adjusting the angle of the data pad so as not to show the pile of unfolded laundry on the couch.

“Good afternoon, Mariana!” It was Professor Ti’lik, her Galactic History instructor. “Is this a good time to talk?”

“Of course,” Mariana said. She made eye contact with Ad’ika and nodded at Cabur. Ad’ika nodded back and pulled his brother’s favorite stuffed bantha out from under the armchair. Cabur immediately lost interest in the data pad and soon both boys were engaged in a bout of Froggy vs. The Bantha. “What can I do for you, Professor?”

“I’m going to start working on a new project soon,” Ti’lik said, her horned head tilting out of camera view as she reached for something off to her side. She came back into view with a cup of kaf in her hand. “Um, just a moment,” she said, taking a long sip. “I’ve been up since before daybreak and I have three committee meetings after this. I need some oomph.” 

“I completely understand,” Mariana chuckled. There were days she relied on numerous cups of kaf to get her through.

“I knew you would,” Ti’lik said. “Anyway … I’m starting a new project, and I’m going to need a research assistant to help me. I’d like to offer you the job.”

“Me?” Mariana was surprised. “But I haven’t finished my degree yet. I thought you usually used graduate students as RAs.”

Ti’lik nodded and took another gulp of kaf. “Normally, I would, but you only have a couple of semesters left, and I think you’d be perfect for this. I’m going to be diving deep into the history of warrior cults, including the Jedi, the Sith … and the Mandalorians.”

Mariana sat back. “And what exactly would this job entail?,” she asked. “I’m kind of limited as to what I can do from here.” She turned the data pad so that the camera would pick up the two boys playing on the floor.

“I know,” said Ti’lik. “Which is why you’d have to come here, to Chandrilla. You’d be working for the University, Mariana, and as an employee you’d be eligible for free tuition … and free child care.”

Mariana was stunned. This was too perfect. “I’ll … I’ll have to talk it over with my husband,” she managed to say after a moment.

“Of course,” Ti’lik said. “You don’t have to decide right now. Take your time, think it over, discuss it with your husband, and let me know in a couple of days.” She glanced to the side, grabbed her cup and downed the last of her kaf. “I’ve got to go. Talk to you soon!”

The comm link went dark and Mariana sat her data pad down. Almost immediately, Cabur abandoned the bantha and tottered toward the table. “Paa!,” he cried. Ad’ika rolled his eyes and corrected him. “Pad,” he said carefully, emphasizing the “d.” Mariana couldn’t help but laugh. 

The pad dinged and she lunged for it before Cabur got his hands on it. It was a text message from Ti’lik. “FYI, by time we complete project, you should have degree in hand. Can almost guarantee you an adjunct position in my dept after that. Think abt it.”

Her hand was shaking as she put the pad down. An adjunct position? _Oh, stars, is this really happening?_

************************************  
Din had just dismissed his final class of the day when he heard a whoop from the hallway. The door burst open and Pando Florenz dragged someone in. “Look who’s here,” he cried. It was Klaarmat X’intari, wearing a brand new dress uniform.

“Lieutenant X’intari,” Din said. “Good to see you again.”

X’intari snapped a salute. “It’s Captain X’intari, actually,” he said with a smile. “I just got promoted.”

Pando threw an arm around the Bendaski’s shoulders. “How about that, Mr. Djarin? Barely out of the Academy a year and he’s already gotten a promotion.”

“Very impressive,” Din agreed. He wasn’t all that surprised, though. He’d been in contact with X’intari’s commanding officer a few times over the past year and knew how well the young officer was doing at Rentrock. Getting him out of the xenophobic atmosphere of Clarvos City had allowed him to flourish.

X’intari shrugged, humble as ever. “I had a couple of good ideas, that’s all,” he said. “Major Gondosk asked me to join his staff, and he has some business with the Colonel, so I got to come along. Thought I’d stop by and say hello while they’re in their meeting.”

They chatted for a bit. Din showed him the latest holos of Cabur and Ad’ika, and Pando admitted he and Glenna were once again together (they’d broken up twice since Klaarmat had graduated). X’intari was just launching into a story about a disastrous date he’d been set up on when his comm pinged.

“That’s the Major,” he said. “Gotta go.” He shook hands with Pando, who pulled him into a hug, then shook hands with Din.

“If you have time, stop by my place before you leave town,” Din said. “I know Mariana would love to see you. No need to comm, just come over.”

“I’ll try,” Klaarmat said. “Depends on what the Major needs from me.” His comm pinged again. “Shit, I’d better go.” He flashed them a smile and hurried off.

“Me, too,” Pando said. “Supposed to study with Glenna for the maths exam tomorrow.” He winked.

Din finished cleaning up the classroom, locked up and headed home.

*****************  
“Da!” Both boys cried out when Din walked through the door.

“You’re late,” Mariana teased.

“Sorry,” Din said, trying to wade through the two toddlers clinging to his legs. “You’ll never guess who stopped by after class.” He picked up Ad’ika and swung him onto his shoulder, then picked up Cabur, snugging him against his hip. “Klaarmat X’intari.”

“Klaarmat?” Mariana was thrilled. “How’s he doing?”

“He just made captain,” Din said proudly. “He’s working for a Major something or other, who had a meeting with Colonel Braxden, so he popped in to say hi. I hope you don’t mind, but I told him to stop by if he had the chance before he leaves town. I thought you’d like to see him.”

“I’d love to see him,” Mariana replied. She had a soft spot for the Bendaski, who had always struck her as a bit lost. Obviously, he wasn’t lost anymore, if he’d already been promoted. “I wonder if Ad’ika remembers him.”

“Klaarma,” Ad’ika said emphatically. “ _Vorpan_. Like me.”

“Vo-pa,” Cabur repeated. 

“Green,” Mariana said carefully. For some reason, both boys were more likely to latch onto Mando’a words than Basic ones, which pleased Din mightily.

“Geen,” Cabur said.

Ad’ika stubbornly stuck to “ _Vorpan_.”

Mariana was about to broach the subject of Ti’lik’s call when the door chimed. Since Din was dripping with children, she stepped past him to answer the door. It was Klaarmat, with an older, human officer standing behind him.

“Hi, Mrs. Djarin!” 

“Klaarmat!,” she cried, wrapping the boy in a hug. “Din was just telling me you’d stopped by. Look at you, _Captain_!”

Once she’d let go of him, he shrugged. “Yeah, I’m still getting used to that. Oh, this is Major Gondosk. We’re on our way to catch our shuttle back to Rentrock, but he said we had time to stop by to see you for a few minutes.”

“Come in,” she said. “Nice to meet you, Major.”

The older man nodded kindly as he stepped inside the apartment. “Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Djarin,” he said. “And you, too, Mr. Djarin. Captain X’intari has told me quite a bit about both of you.”

Din put the boys down and shook Gondosk’s hand. Ad’ika leaped at Klaarmat, while Cabur warily peeped from behind his father’s knee.

“Hey, it’s my favorite green kid,” said Klaarmat, sweeping Ad’ika into his arms. “And look how big your brother is! I remember when he was a teeny, tiny baby.”

“Cabur _muninar_ ,” Ad’ika said. Klaarmat looked puzzled.

“He said Cabur is tall,” Din explained. “He’s quite proud of how fast his brother is growing.” Ad’ika nodded.

“We don’t have long,” Major Gondosk said, “but I did want to let you know that we’re working on reversing the Board’s decision on the admittance of non-human cadets. General Mikko is being reassigned and if we’re lucky the new Academy liaison will be more amenable to our point of view.” He clapped one hand on Klaarmat’s shoulder. “After all, if we don’t admit non-human cadets, we’re going to lose out on officers like X’intari here.”

Klaarmat ducked his head in embarrassment. “I’m just doing my job, sir,” he mumbled.

“And a damn fine job, too,” Gondosk said. “Speaking of, we’d better get going or we’ll miss our transport. Again, a pleasure to meet you both, and here’s hoping next year will be back to normal around here.” He shook their hands and waved at both boys.

Klaarmat handed Ad’ika to Mariana, then crushed them both in an embrace. “Good to see you again, Mrs. Djarin,” he said.

“I told you to call me Mariana,” she chided as he stepped back.

“Okay, Mariana,” he said. “But I’m still calling him Mr. Djarin.” He nodded toward Din, who simply shook his head.

“Come here, _Captain_ ,” he said, pulling Klaarmat into a hug. “Don’t be a stranger.”

After X’intari and Gondosk left, Din sat on the couch, pulling Cabur into his lap. “This is great news, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said. “If they can get the Board to reverse it’s policy …” He smiled at her, his eyes bright. Suddenly, she didn’t feel as excited about her own news.

“Din, we have to talk about something,” she said, sitting down next to him. Ad’ika looked at her expectantly and she nodded. He grabbed Cabur’s hand and led him off to play.

“What’s up?” Din asked, taking her hand. “Is anything wrong?”

“I … I had a comm from Professor Ti’lik today,” she began. 

Din frowned. “I thought you were doing well in her class,” he said.

“I am,” she assured him. “This wasn’t about class. She — she offered me a job.”

“I don’t understand. A job? But you haven’t finished your degree yet. You need to finish your degree. That’s the plan.”

“I know. And it’s a job as her research assistant. Which means I’d be working for the University. And eligible for free tuition.”

Din’s face lit up. “So you’d still be able to finish your degree,” he said. “But you’re already so busy, with school and the kids. Do you really think it’s a good idea to take on something else?”

“Well, she did mention that the university provides free child care,” Mariana said carefully.

That was when it dawned on him. “So this job would be on Chandrilla,” he said. 

She nodded. “Yes, which is why we need to talk about it.” She rubbed his hand. “If you don’t want to leave Thantos, I understand. Especially with things looking up for next year —“

He cut her off. “There’s nothing to talk about,” he said. “We’re going.”

“Wait, what?”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “This has always been the plan, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said softly. “For you to finish your education, to have the career you were always meant to. You have to take this opportunity.”

“But you’re so happy here,” she said. “I don’t want you to have to give up your whole life _again_ , just for me.”

Din shook his head. “You and the boys are my whole life,” he corrected her. “A job is a job. Mar’ika, there are plenty of soldiers and fighters in this galaxy. People like me are a dime a dozen. But minds like yours … brilliant, insightful minds … that’s what the galaxy needs more of.”

“What did I ever do to deserve you?,” she said through tears.

“I ask myself the same question every day,” he replied, wiping the tears away with his thumb before kissing her quite thoroughly.

***********************************  
“What’s this?,” Colonel Braxden asked as Din dropped an envelope on his desk.

“My letter of resignation,” Din replied. 

The Colonel scrambled to his feet. “Your what?”

“My wife got a job offer on Chandrilla,” he explained. “We’ll be leaving at the end of the month.”

Braxden sighed. “We’ll miss you,” he said simply. “Give your wife my best.”

********************************  
Everything was packed. Mariana picked up Cabur and settled him on her hip. She looked around the apartment. The furniture was staying, of course, but even so the rooms looked so empty without all their clutter. No stray toys under the couch, no abandoned jacket draped over a chair, no dirty cups in the sink, no data pads scattered on the side table.

“Goodbye, little apartment,” she whispered.

“Bye, parmen,” Cabur echoed.

Din and Ad’ika were already outside, waiting for the skimmer to arrive to take them to the spaceport. “I hope you remember this place, _verd’ika_ ,” she said. “It’s where you were born.” Things had not always been perfect on Thantos (those dark, dark days after the cadets were lost would be seared into her soul forever) but it had been where they became a true family, a clan of four.

She walked outside to stand next to her husband. “Any regrets?,” she asked. She knew he was disappointed to be missing Pando and Glenna’s graduation, and would miss hanging out with Garrick.

“No regrets,” Din said, slipping his arm around her waist. “This is the Way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a words:
> 
> Vorpan = green  
> Muninar = tall


End file.
